What is Trauma? Is This How You Feel?
A traumatic event (or series of events) can leave you feeling helpless, unsafe, or out of control, even long after the experience is over. Trauma is deeply personal; two people can live through the same situation and walk away with two very different reactions and emotional impacts.
You might still be struggling with the effects of something that happened months or even many years ago. That’s because overwhelming experiences are often stored in the brain and nervous system, not just in memory.
While reaction to trauma is personal, many clients say they’re experiencing:
Trauma can also be the root cause behind other mental-health related challenges, such as:
If that’s how you feel, know you’re not alone. We’ve helped dozens of clients struggling with a difficult past, and we’re eager to support you, too! Find out more about our evidence-based approach to trauma counseling.
Effective Approach to Trauma Therapy
Your difficult past doesn’t have to define the rest of your life and how you feel today. Trauma therapy will help you understand what happened, how it’s affecting you today, and how to gradually let go of the patterns that keep you stuck and uneasy.
When it comes to trauma, time alone will likely not heal that wound. That’s because traumatic experiences are stored both in the brain and nervous system. But with the right support, these experiences can be processed and minimized (or even eliminated altogether).
When in trauma therapy with us, you get access to a safe, supportive space where your mind and body can begin to unwind the impact of overwhelming experiences.
What You Can Expect in a Trauma Therapy Session
Many clients notice changes gradually: In time, as we work together, you will feel less triggered, more grounded, more connected to others, and more in control of your emotions and reactions. The goal of trauma therapy is to help you restore your sense of balance, safety, and being in control.
| Who can benefit from trauma therapy? | What benefits can you expect? |
|---|---|
| Adults dealing with the long-term effects of childhood trauma | Regain a sense of calm and control |
| Individuals recovering from traumatic events (such as accidents or medical emergencies) | Build healthier relationships with yourself and others |
| People experiencing relational or attachment trauma impacting their current relationships | Reduce distressing symptoms, such as flashbacks, panic, or emotional numbness |
| First responders, veterans, or professionals exposed to ongoing stress or traumatic situations | Rebuild confidence and sense of safety |
Trauma-Related Challenges
Trauma can be a root cause of other challenges and mental health conditions. It is especially common with clients struggling with OCD, ADHD, and lowered sports performance (both athletes and active individuals).
OCD
OCD involves intrusive thoughts and repetitive behaviors that feel hard to control. Trauma can heighten your anxiety, increase your need for control, and make OCD feel even more intense. Trauma therapy will help you reduce anxiety and build healthier coping strategies.
Our OCD therapy sessions often include learning coping tools that help you manage intrusive thoughts, reduce compulsions, and strengthen emotional regulation.
ADHD/Neurodivergence
ADHD affects your focus, organization, and emotional regulation. Trauma can make these challenges even more overwhelming by increasing stress responses in the brain and making daily tasks feel harder.
With our help, you will develop practical strategies for managing attention, routines, and emotional overwhelm. Together, we will address trauma-related patterns that make focus or organization more difficult.
Sports Performance
Athletes dealing with trauma often experience fear, freeze responses, and self-doubt. These reactions are usually linked to past experiences (even those that seem unrelated to your sport discipline).
Trauma therapy will help you calm your nervous system, strengthen mental resilience, and reduce performance-blocking stress responses. Our trauma therapists will concentrate on improving your focus when performing sport-related activities, managing anxiety, and rebuilding trust in your skills, so that you can return to your best form!
Discover Proven Trauma Therapy Modalities
CER Counseling only uses proven, evidence-based modalities to help clients with trauma. We specialize in three approaches to trauma counseling: EMDR, ERP, and Brainspotting. See how those strategies help you cope with trauma:
EMDR Therapy in Trauma Treatment
EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) is an evidence-based trauma therapy that helps your brain reprocess overwhelming experiences.
EMDR uses bilateral stimulation (such as eye movements or tapping) to help the brain integrate unprocessed memories. This reduces the emotional intensity of past events and strengthens more adaptive, empowered beliefs.
EMDR helps with trauma, anxiety, grief, phobias, performance blocks, and many other concerns. Our clients often say they experience:
Fewer triggers, flashbacks, and intrusive thoughts
Better emotional regulation
Less anxiety and hypervigilance
A greater sense of safety and control
ERP Therapy for Trauma
ERP (Exposure and Response Prevention) is a structured, evidence-based therapy that helps you gradually overcome situations, thoughts, or sensations that feel distressing.
ERP gradually and gently exposes you to trauma-related triggers in a controlled, supportive way while helping you resist the urge to avoid, shut down, or “escape” the discomfort. Over time, your nervous system learns that these situations and triggers are no longer dangerous.
With ERP, our clients frequently experience:
Less avoidance and fewer trauma-related triggers
Increased confidence when facing everyday situations
Greater emotional regulation
A sense of safety returning to the body
During ERP sessions, you practice facing a trigger while your therapist guides you to stay present, grounded, and regulated. Thanks to this process, the fear response naturally weakens, making those past distressing situations feel manageable again.
Trauma Counseling with Brainspotting
Brainspotting helps you access and release unprocessed emotional reactions stored deep in the brain. By using specific eye positions (called “brainspots”) it connects you to the subcortical areas responsible for emotions, instincts, and survival responses.
Brainspotting for trauma helps you:
Calm the nervous system
Reduce emotional overwhelm
Supports long-term healing, even if previous therapies haven’t been effective
In a Brainspotting session, we start by identifying what you’d like to work on. Together, you find your “activation spot” (where the distress feels strongest) and a “calming spot” (where your system feels at ease). You choose how long to stay with each spot and can process in silence or talk as needed.
Your therapist guides the process while you remain in control, allowing your brain to safely access and release stored trauma at a pace that feels comfortable.
Meet Our Compassionate Trauma Therapists in Frederick and Buckeystown
Chris Burgenson
Christian Paulisich
Specifics You Need to Know About Trauma Therapy in Frederick and Buckeystown
Here at The Center for Empowerment and Resilience, we provide trauma therapy services in two settings:
- In-person in our offices in Frederick and Buckeystown
- Virtually across Maryland
Here’s everything you need to know about our services:
At CER Counseling, we strive to create a culture of healing, resilience, and support for all those who seek solace and recovery in the aftermath of trauma. If you’re struggling with a difficult past, you’re not alone! We’re here to support you. I warmly invite you to book a free initial consultation today!
Sal Schittino
Book Trauma Therapy at CER Counseling
Start With an Initial Free Consultation!
Are you struggling with trauma? It can be a huge challenge to deal with it on your own. But you don’t have to do that. We have many years of experience helping clients dealing with different kinds of trauma and related challenges.
We’re here to help you, too! We understand that starting therapy is a big step. That’s why we want to invite you to book a free initial consultation. During this initial call, you will get to ask your questions and find out more about our approach. We will not force you to start therapy with us. We want you to make an informed decision that you feel comfortable with, and we understand you may not be ready to start right away.
From here, you have two options. If you are ready to book, use the button below. If you have questions or would like to reach out before you book, please use the contact form.
We look forward to talking to you!
Sal
