Hilary Stokes PhD LCSW

Trauma is our response to an experience that is so distressing and frightening that we become overwhelmed and unable to cope effectively. My journey of healing from CPTSD has most influenced my approach to therapy. I have found mind body therapies such as brainspotting, EMDR, somatic therapy and parts therapy are essential to deep trauma healing.

Somatic therapy involves releasing the build-up of stress in the body and mind. It is the process of connection with a felt sense or body sensations that store emotional energy. As sensations of contraction, tension or residue stress are felt and experienced they tend to unwind and release pent-up emotional stress. This results in regulating the nervous system and an expanded state of openness, energy, vitality and healing. Somatic therapy is a foundational tool we use during Brainspotting.

EMDR is a mind and body trauma therapy that allows you to go beyond just talking about what happened and into truly healing it. It allows you to access the root of trauma and unhealthy patterns so that you can rewire those neural pathways for change and healing. Our approach to EMDR is rooted in our overall belief that the mind and body have an innate capacity for healing and resilience.

Brainspotting is a powerful trauma therapy that helps process and unravel stuck and unresolved issues. It can bring up feelings to express, sensations to release and sometimes memories to process. It often leads to powerful insights, revelations and new perspectives on old issues.

Mind body approaches are fundamental to treating anxiety. Given anxiety has a primary physical component, brain informed, or body-based therapies have been shown to be essential in reducing symptoms of anxiety. Meditation, mindfulness, diaphragmatic breathing practices and other relaxation techniques are often considered the hub of most mind body approaches. Brainspotting, EMDR, somatic therapy, and parts therapy are also highly effective at addressing underlying factors.

Depression can result from a number of factors including a traumatic event, loss and other major life stressors. Many people who experience depression report having trauma in their history or even feel trauma from dealing with depression. We have found Brainspotting, somatic therapy and other methods that directly address the underlying trauma are a vital and often missing component of healing depression.