It can be hard to know how to deal with trauma. EMDR is a good option. They tell us it’s efficient. They tell us it’s surprisingly fast. But it’s hard to know what exactly it entails. Sure, we’re told it involves moving our eyes right to left on and on until the memories stop evoking distress, but that doesn’t explain how EMDR works. Not really.

Over the past few years, online therapy has become far more widespread than it used to be. This is useful for anyone who might not be able to commit to in-person therapy consistently, such as people with chronic illnesses. Whether we were diagnosed years ago or last week, they take their toll on us.

When we’re used to talking therapy, EMDR can be a little scary. After all, talking therapies don’t work by moving our eyes left and right while thinking of a traumatic memory. No, that’s not what we do in talking therapies. In those, we talk. It’s in the name.

There’s nothing wrong with that, of course. But EMDR truly is helpful. It’s efficient. But it is a fairly new practice, and it’s so different from what we might know that it’s normal to be skeptical. That’s why it’s important to know what to expect, not just from the first session but what will happen afterward, too

It’s not easy to live as an HSP. We’re always berated for being too sensitive and told we wouldn’t get anywhere with this attitude. But it’s not just an attitude. It’s who we are.

We can thrive too. We just need to learn the right tools to navigate this world, and counseling can help us with that.

There are different kinds of meditation, and everyone has a type that will help them the most. We’re all distinct people, so no single, perfect method will help us all. But that’s okay. There are at least four basic methods we can all try as we begin our meditation journey.

It doesn’t matter whether we’re the ones struggling or a loved one is. What matters is that we’re all able to reach out for support when we need it. Counseling is a great way to start. If we don’t know what we’re struggling with, a counselor can help us figure it out. They can help us when times are hard, and we don’t know what to do next. We don’t have to deal with this on our own. And that’s what we should keep in mind this month.

EMDR is very different from talk therapy. It requires less talking, for one. It usually takes less time to take effect than talk therapy, yet it’s still considered very effective, especially for people dealing with trauma

The thing about childhood trauma is that it doesn’t go away as we grow up. It’s by our side every step of the way. But it changes with us. Even as adults, our childhood trauma can affect who we become as well as our relationships with other people. It just does so in different ways.