childhood trauma Bergen County NJ

Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR): Therapy for PTSD

GalleryJudy Gurfein Leave a comment

By: Jessica Much

Post-traumatic stress disorder is a complex disorder affecting those who have experienced single or repeated trauma. The most commonly-known symptom of PTSD is flashbacks. Flashbacks occur when a person is reminded of the traumatic event by an environmental cue, known as a trigger, which leads to an episode of feeling as if they are experiencing the trauma all over again in real time. For instance, if someone who has been hit by a red car sees a red car while they are driving, it may remind them of the incident and cause them to have a vivid flashback of the event.

          For those who experience flashbacks, it may be hard to feel in control of their emotions, and they may feel helpless to stop them. However, there is a lesser-known therapy that can help ease the severity of flashbacks. Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing therapy (EMDR) was created by Francine Shapiro in the 1980s to address trauma through physical stimulation as well as talk therapy. EMDR believes that traumatic memories are stuck within an individual’s conscious (causing flashbacks), and must be reprocessed and unstuck by the patient to alleviate symptoms and their severity.

          During this therapy, patients are verbally guided through questions and feelings about their memories while bilateral brain activity in the patient is stimulated by the therapist through various methods (most commonly side-to-side eye movement). This encourages the reprocessing of memories from the emotional right brain hemisphere to the more logical left brain. Doing this can help reduce the emotional intensity of memories, as well as allow patients to change their beliefs about the memory (“My sexual assault is my fault” can be modified to “I am not to blame for what happened to me”). Additionally, reprocessing memories can help address symptoms of PTSD that are not directly attached to a memory, such as not sleeping well, being generally fearful, or lashing out at others.

          EMDR therapy shows significant results in the treatment of PTSD, especially when combined with other forms of therapy, such as cognitive behavioral therapy. Studies show that 84%-90% of single-trauma victims no longer met the criteria to be diagnosed with PTSD after three 90-minute sessions, and 77% of multiple trauma victims no longer meet the criteria after only six 50-minute sessions.

          EMDR is a quick, effective, and science-based treatment for PTSD. If you are suffering from recurring nightmares, flashbacks, have gone through single/repeated trauma, experience unidentified emotional outbursts, or want to reframe how you recall negative memories, this therapy might be right for you.

If you or someone you know may be struggling with loneliness, or their mental health, please contact our psychotherapy offices in New York or New Jersey to talk to one of our licensed professional psychologists, psychiatrists, psychiatric nurse practitioners, or psychotherapists at Arista Counseling & Psychotherapy. Contact our Paramus, NJ or Manhattan, NY offices respectively, at (201) 368-3700 or (212) 722-1920 to set up an appointment. For more information, please visit http://www.counselingpsychotherapynjny.com/ .

Sources

“Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR).” Ttuhsc.edu, 11 June 2024, http://www.ttuhsc.edu/medicine/psychiatry/counseling/emdr.aspx.

‌American Psychological Association. “What Is EMDR Therapy and Why Is It Used to Treat PTSD?” Apa.org, 2023, http://www.apa.org/topics/psychotherapy/emdr-therapy-ptsd.

Stoneridgecenters. “3 Ways EMDR Therapy Benefits the Brain and Helps It Heal.” StoneRidge Treatment & Recovery, 3 Oct. 2022, stoneridgecenters.com/2022/10/02/how-emdr-therapy-benefits-the-brain/. Accessed 27 Jan. 2026.

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder: The Aftermath of a School Shooting

GalleryJudy Gurfein Leave a comment

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder: The Aftermath of a School Shooting

By Fiona McDermut

            After yet another school shooting in the United States left 19 children dead, many parents in grief, and a multitude of survivors in agony, it is time we recognize the impact that is left on the survivors of such devastating events. Although children are known to be particularly resilient, such impactful experiences may lead to post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

            In children, PTSD symptoms are often overlooked or confused with other psychiatric disorders. These symptoms may include restlessness, fidgety behavior, trouble focusing or staying organized, reliving traumatic events through thought or play, nightmares, inconsistent sleep patterns, intense fear or sadness, angry outbursts, avoiding topics associated with the traumatic event, and feelings of denial. These emotions may be triggered by something that reminds the child of the event.

            Such devastating events are hard for anyone to understand, especially a child. If your child has experienced trauma, the symptoms can be best treated if they get in contact with a mental healthcare provider as soon as possible. Even if the child is not ready to talk about the events, many psychologists and psychotherapists can understand the situation by observing the child’s behaviors. Multi modal psychotherapy including cognitive behavioral therapy is frequently used in these situations. In certain situations, your child’s therapist may recommend the addition of safe and helpful medication.

            School should be a safe space for children, but after recent events, apprehensiveness in regard to attending school is understandable. If you or your child is experiencing extreme persistent fear following the recent events, your child will benefit from meeting with a mental health professional to get necessary treatment for his or her symptoms.

            If you or someone you know is struggling with post-traumatic stress disorder, please contact our psychotherapy offices in New York or New Jersey to talk to one of our licensed professional psychologists, psychiatrists, psychiatric nurse practitioners, or psychotherapists at Arista Counseling & Psychotherapy. Contact our Paramus, NJ or Manhattan, NY offices respectively, at (201) 368-3700 or (212) 722-1920 to set up an appointment. For more information, please visit http://www.counselingpsychotherapynjny.com/

Sources:

https://www.cdc.gov/childrensmentalhealth/ptsd.html

Image Source:

https://www.unicef.org/parenting/how-talk-your-children-about-conflict-and-war

Discipline and the Effects of Yelling at a Child

GalleryJudy Gurfein Leave a comment

By Katie Weinstein

When it comes to verbal abuse, many people disregard it as a form of abuse because it is not as concrete as physical or sexual abuse, and it is more difficult to draw the line between verbal abuse and scolding. However, the effects of yelling and verbal abuse are just as detrimental and intense as any other type of abuse and can lead to depression and anxiety.

Being yelled at frequently increases the activity of the amygdala, which is the area of the brain that is responsible for emotions. This is because loud noises are signaled to the brain as a warning sign for danger. The amygdala increases stress hormones in the body, which increases muscular tension. These signals tell the body to fight, flight, or freeze, but none of these options are okay when a parent is yelling at a child since it isn’t acceptable to run away from a caregiver or fight them, which leaves the body to be in a stress condition with no purpose or function.  

There are long term effects of yelling at a child frequently since the brain develops neuronal pathways according to our experiences. If the child is conditioned to frequently respond to stressful situations, the child will develop pathways that activate a stress response quickly. Since negative interactions impact a person more than positive interactions, it affects our expectations and self-esteem drastically, especially if the yelling involves name calling, as well as behavior. One might think that yelling would get a child not engage in a specific behavior, but in reality yelling increases bad behavior due to stress and increased aggression as a result of a hyperactive amygdala, which may cause the parent to yell more. Since the child is constantly stressed, they are at risk for mental health problems such as anxiety and depression. Additionally, since yelling is not an effective communication style, the child may not learn to properly communicate, which can affect the child’s relationships in the future, leading to more problems down the road.

If you or someone you know is experiencing trauma from verbal abuse please contact our psychotherapy offices in New York or New Jersey to talk to one of our licensed professional psychologists, psychiatrists, psychiatric nurse practitioners, or psychotherapists at Arista Counseling & Psychotherapy. Contact our Paramus, NJ or Manhattan, NY offices respectively, at (201) 368-3700 or (212) 722-1920 to set up an appointment. For more information, please visit http://www.counselingpsychotherapynjny.com/

https://optimistminds.com/psychological-effects-of-being-yelled-at/

The Problem with Yelling

https://www.healthline.com/health/parenting/effects-of-yelling-at-kids

PTSD in Refugee and Unaccompanied Children:

GalleryJudy Gurfein Leave a comment

By: Luz Melendez

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a disorder that can occur to someone after being exposed to one or more traumatic events. These traumatic events can vary from a natural disaster, war/combat, serious injury, sexual violence, and/or exposure to death threats. After experiencing a trauma there can be an emotional reaction to these events which can include fear, helplessness, and even horror. There may also be distressing memories of the traumatic event which can be recurrent and involuntary. In order to be diagnosed with PTSD, symptoms have to last for more than a month and be persistent. (American Psychiatric Association, 2013).

One population that is less talked about when it comes to PTSD is children, but more specifically refugee or asylum seeking children. The current population of children with PTSD in the U.S. is about 5% and among refugee children in the U.S. it’s about 54%. These children are experiencing hunger, extreme poverty, bombings, abductions, sexual assault, and even witnessing deaths. These stressors can often co-occur making everyday life very difficult for them. The effects of these events are causing developmental regression, clinginess, repetitive play of the trauma/s, anxiety, depression, ACES, and mood changes. One effect that is very important is how the brain is being affected by these traumas. PTSD is developed in two key regions of the brain, the amygdala and the prefrontal cortex. The amygdala reacts too strongly while the prefrontal cortex impedes the ability to regulate a threat response. It’s the perfect storm that leads to hyperarousal, hyper vigilance, and sleep deprivation which are big issues when it comes to children. Children’s brains are growing and developing and these traumas are stunting the global developmental growth of these children’s brains.

Often PTSD in refugee or asylum seeking children, if left untreated/undiagnosed, can and will lead to life long-lasting effects. In the situation these children are in, it’s difficult to not only diagnose them but to properly treat them. Many if not all have witnessed one or more of the stressors mentioned above and these children are out in the world not only having their lives completely change but having their mental health deteriorate. Thankfully some host countries who take in refugees, screen them and try to help them adjust to their now new lives and overcome barriers that come with accessing physical and mental health care. This also includes overcoming the stigma that refugees have of seeking mental health care. Like mentioned before only some host countries do this, others are still fixing their processing of refugees.

 

If you or someone you know is struggling with PTSD, Arista Counseling and Psychotherapy can help. Please contact our psychotherapy offices in New York or New Jersey to talk to one of our licensed professional psychologists, psychiatrists, psychiatric nurse practitioners, or psychotherapists at Arista Counseling & Psychotherapy. Contact our Paramus, NJ or Manhattan, NY offices respectively, at (201) 368-3700 or (212) 722-1920 to set up an appointment. For more information, please visit http://www.counselingpsychotherapynjny.com/ .

 

Reference:

American Psychiatric Association. (2013). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (5th ed). Arlington, VA: American Psychiatric Association.