Crystal Spiegel, LCSW 303 5th Avenue, NY 646-846-2947
Trauma
Trauma Treatment
- Is There A Past Experience That Makes You Feel Unsafe In Your Own Shoes?
- Are there painful memories from the distant past that still affect you today?
- Do you think there may be trauma in your life, but you’re not sure?
- Maybe you feel unsafe in your own shoes, like there’s always something bad about to happen.
Perhaps you have trouble setting boundaries with other people—you either trust them too much or too little. When you’re living with trauma, you may suffer from intrusive memories, flashbacks, and other PTSD symptoms. Maybe you feel numb, listless, and disconnected from your own body, as if you’re not fully present in your life. No matter how much you try to downplay what you went through—telling yourself that “it wasn’t that bad” or “other people have it worse”—you know something isn’t right. Deep down, you long for answers. You want someone who will validate your pain and listen to your story.
Past Hurt Can Make It Hard To Enjoy Relationships In The Present
Most trauma stems from relationships. If you suffered from betrayal, neglect, or abuse, you might find it hard to open up to other people and form trusting relationships. Rather than risk getting hurt again, you may isolate and keep to yourself most of the time. But while doing so brings temporary relief, it ultimately limits your options for growth and makes you lonely in the end. If you want to feel like yourself again and regain control of your life, I encourage you to connect with me. Trauma and PTSD therapy can help you can take back your power and learn to feel safe and secure in your own skin.
Most People Don’t Even Realize That There Is Trauma In Their Life
Trauma is much more common than people realize because, contrary to popular belief, events do not determine trauma. What makes a person traumatized is how their nervous system responds to an event. And this isn’t a matter of strength and weakness; oftentimes, it’s simply a matter of having the right support. If you’re dealing with a chronic illness or abusive relationship and you don’t have a supportive community around you, it’s much harder to work through your trauma. Sadly, many people downplay their trauma because their experiences happened a long time ago or they think that other people have suffered more. But you don’t need to witness violence every day to experience trauma. Simply growing up with alcoholic, narcissistic, or verbally abusive parents can be traumatizing, as can dealing with neglect, betrayal, or repeated rejection.
Tailoring Your Treatment Plan
Today, we are dealing with discrimination, a global pandemic, and widespread violence and unrest. Major world events seem to bombard us every day and it feels like we can never catch a break. Little wonder, then, that so many of us feel anxious all the time and sometimes traumatized.
It is difficult to process life’s painful moments alone, no matter how strong or intelligent you are. That’s why I’m here. As a trauma counselor, my goal is to be an agent of hope in your life and provide nurturing and compassionate support on your journey.
Therapy Can Help You Resolve Trauma And Feel More At Home In Your Body
Oftentimes, the most frustrating part of dealing with trauma is how it can hold you back from the life you want. You may know what you need to do to change, but no matter how hard you try, you always seem to land right back at square one. No matter how many times you tell yourself that life will be different now, you find yourself falling into the same patterns again and again.
This is why knowing what to do often isn’t enough. As much as you know things should be different, your nervous system is wired to defend itself against attempts to change.
Trauma and PTSD counseling can help you break down the walls of defense that prevent you from changing. I want to help you overcome the long-standing patterns that stand in the way of your best life.
EMDR therapy
Won’t talking about my trauma just make it worse?
Talking about trauma can make it worse, and that’s why my approach goes much deeper than talk therapy. With EMDR, you can share as much or as little of your story as you’d like. The main focus is on images, emotions and body sensations, not dialogue. This reduces the risk of re-traumatization and allows you to process your memories without feeling stuck in them.
I’ve been in therapy for years and nothing has worked.
Many of my clients have been to numerous therapists before they come to me—it’s normal. Feeling stuck and helpless is more common than you think. The great thing about EMDR therapy is that it can help you get to the root of your traumatic stress and still find relief from your symptoms, allowing for fuller, more well-rounded healing.
My traumatic experience happened a long time ago
There’s a reason childhood trauma is the common form of trauma: the events of our childhood have a profound impact on our adult lives. The problem is that the connection isn’t always obvious. For instance, you may feel the need to constantly please people in your life without knowing why. But maybe you had a demanding or narcissistic parent who would criticize or punish you if you didn’t do what they wanted. In this way, there may be connections between your people-pleasing behavior and your childhood relationships that you didn’t realize. Therapy is a chance to sort out these connections.
Let Me Help You Find Stillness In The Here And Now With my gentle, nurturing approach to trauma therapy, I am confident that you can resolve the pain of the past and live freely and joyfully in the present. To get started, you can email me or call 212-810-6761-Manhattan for a free 15-minute phone call to discuss trauma therapy-emdr.
