The TeleWellness Hub Podcast

The Path to Healing: Laura Thomas on Trauma, EMDR, and Therapist Authenticity

• Martamaria Hamilton

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The episode centers on the transformative power of EMDR in addressing trauma and promoting healing. Laura Thomas shares insights on generational trauma, the EMDR process, and the importance of self-care for therapists, emphasizing that healing is possible through compassion and effective therapeutic techniques.
 
 • Emphasizes the impact of generational trauma on individuals and families
 • Describes the mechanics and benefits of EMDR therapy
 • Discusses the significance of resourcing techniques for clients
 • Highlights the necessity of self-care for therapists to manage secondary trauma
 • Encourages listeners to explore EMDR as a potential healing path
 
 Laura shares her contact information for anyone interested in her services: LauraThomasLICSW.com.

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Support the show

We are happy and honored to be part of your life changing health and wellness journey:
https://telewellnesshub.com/explore-wellness-experts/

Speaker 1:

Welcome, friends, to the Telewellness Hub podcast. Today's podcast is not just a simple past fact, it's an act of self-care. I'm Martha Hamilton, your host, and today we get to talk to somebody really special who is passionate about mental health awareness, breaking the cycle of trauma and building healthier relationships and lifestyles. Her name is Laura Thomas. She's an LICSW trained in EMDR, with six years of experience providing mental health services to a wide range of ages and populations. Welcome, laura.

Speaker 2:

Hey, I'm so happy to be here.

Speaker 1:

Thank you. Yes, I feel like there's a lot we want to talk about Before we hit record. I shared my own interest in EMDR. I've mentioned it in some previous podcasts but I'm hoping we can dive in a little bit more and also just talk about practicing what we preach as therapists Um, just being able to talk a little bit about that. So I'm hoping to get to all of this, uh, these conversations and talk a little bit more about what it looks like when working with Laura and in private practice with her. But before we dive into all those questions, if you don't mind sharing a little bit more about why do you do the wellness work that you do?

Speaker 2:

So that's a huge question in itself. Um, especially since, like you know, I've found my purpose. I've found everything that I feel like I was built to do, like I really feel like I was born to be a healer. Um, I also am really excited about breaking the cycle of generational trauma. I mean, life is hard, yeah, like, yeah, we all go through really hard things.

Speaker 2:

Unfortunately, it seems like trauma is a part of most people's lives, and especially like in the past, even with like big disasters, big wars, like horrible things that have happened throughout the years, there's a history of trauma that we didn't know how to deal with for a very long time. And now we're finally getting to that place where we can understand how to heal that and so being able to help people and see people heal from these things, get rid of those triggers and be able to live a healthy lifestyle that everybody wants to, and be able to teach their children that and co-regulate, help them continue on with way less trauma, at least knowing how to deal with it. So that's probably the biggest thing.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, no, that's huge. Something I didn't share but is in Laura's bio on her website. That really stood out to me is this statement that I feel like is exactly what you touched upon she shared. It is the most beautiful experience to watch people shed their negative beliefs, triggers and strong emotional reactions due to the trauma they endured. Like just speaking about like the beauty and being able to be a part of that and to witness that and to see that transformation. So thanks for sharing, because I think in my experience speaking with colleagues, not just in this podcast but just in general, there's truly like a passion behind all the academics and the clinical work and the thousands of hours to get our license right and setting up our private practice. There's, um, you gotta have a lot of a lot of motivation and and heart for for that work. So, yeah, thanks for thanks for sharing that and I think you're right, it's really really interesting and um amazing that we now have the technology and the understanding about right like our neurobiology and just the science and the technology to really start to learn and measure. I mean, we can now measure the effects of trauma right in the body. So I think it's such a fascinating thing to be able to offer support for that and provide healing for generations to come, if you don't mind.

Speaker 1:

Something you mentioned is that generational trauma. I haven't talked to people about that and I've shared, I've disclosed. I am not a trauma specialist so I typically refer out. I'm always so curious. I love talking with people who providers, who have that background. Can you share a little bit about what it would look like if I were a client and I'm looking at? Maybe I can identify maybe there's someone listening right now like, okay, I think there's some generational trauma going on in my families and in my family and like what would it look like to address that, especially through the lens of something like EMDR?

Speaker 2:

Wow, that's a great question so.

Speaker 1:

Oh, why don't I start? Let me back up. Let me back up actually Like, can you just share a little bit of like what is EMDR, you know? Like before, I like get 10 steps ahead, yeah.

Speaker 2:

Okay. So I actually have a way of explaining it. When, like, I get new referrals or when I'm, you know, just even starting with someone who came for EMDR, I just want to make sure that they get the understanding that I have of it. So, the way I explain it and I have to mention that I was trained by Dr Dobo down in Melbourne, florida, and he's amazing and he helped me create this little pitch, as we call it so, basically, we have in our traumas, they create triggers, and what triggers are is our past feeling like our present, and so it's stored in the wrong part of the brain.

Speaker 2:

And when we incorporate bilateral stimulation, which can be tapping on either side of the body or eye movement, was obviously the original because it stands for eye movement, desensitization and reprocessing. So eye movements back and forth, but a lot of people like to close their eyes. So also, through telehealth, I have a platform that plays a sound back and forth, and so what that does is it connects both hemispheres of the brain so that they can reprocess what happened to them, make meaning of it and desensitize those body triggers and put it back in the part of the brain where they know it's in the past and it just doesn't activate them as much anymore. So they still remember it, but it's not affecting their daily lives in their present anymore.

Speaker 1:

That's amazing. I love the way you describe it like the past and the present, and I didn't realize that you could do that through telehealth. I knew some people did the eyes, but I was envisioning.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, I could see how it's nice to close your eyes and use the power of sound that's them and actually like that, you brought that up because with trauma patients or trauma clients they usually grew up, especially with developmental trauma, which happens, you know from a time that they can't even remember having a life without trauma, but they never got choices, choices right, like they were never in control, and they probably still feel like they're never in control in their lives, and so it's very important in every session that you're giving them as many choices as possible, using the language, if I invite you to do this, or are you ready for this? Or and just making sure that they know that you don't want them to people. Please you, right?

Speaker 1:

Right.

Speaker 2:

Let's be honest here. Do you need to take a break? Like you are in control here. I love that. I'm going to keep reminding you of that, and so, even with those sounds like which sound is most comfortable for you, making those choices of every single thing that's so important.

Speaker 1:

it's so important and I can see so empowering those choices. Yeah, yes, especially with something like such a big step for some people. Um, I mean, I've been a patient, a client myself, right to therapy, and even as a therapist myself, I know it's a big step to like, okay, find the right little person and to step into the unknown of what is it going to be like, what kind of questions are they going to ask me? So that's amazing that you explain the process and give choices within that. I didn't know that you could do that, that you could do just the audio and through telehealth and have choices. That's amazing. Yeah, yeah, well, great, great pitch for EMDR. Like, yeah, yeah, I think that's great gaining that trust.

Speaker 2:

Just explaining it, you know, getting through basically your normal first three sessions, right, you're getting to know each other, getting comfortable, creating that safe space. And then phase two is resourcing, which is super important. I keep learning how important it is more and more with every single client, and a lot of clients you know that have so much trauma they are. They're used to a chaotic life, right, like they're used to chaos, and it's almost like chaos feels safe and comfortable, and so they're stepping out of their comfort zone when you're helping them learn to relax, because they're like where's the chaos? This is not relaxing, this is not safe, and so it's so important to sit in the resourcing for as long as possible and help them start to realize what it feels like to be calm, what it feels like to be safe and what it feels like to let your body relax.

Speaker 2:

And so some different examples of resourcing. So we create a happy place, and I even give them a choice on what word do you want to use for your place? Do you want it to be happy, calm, peaceful? Sometimes people choose safe, but I usually don't even offer that word because most of them don't know what it feels like to be safe.

Speaker 2:

But, yeah, different words to describe their place and I'm like, okay, well, when you think of this place, it can be imaginary, it can be real, it can be a combination, like what comes up for you, and then usually they know exactly what that is like oh, it's in a park, or oh it's in my living room, or it's by the beach. The beach is a common one, and then I use all of the grounding techniques to help them get there, with the slow BLS going back and forth. So the slow is for resourcing, because it's creating that calmer environment and you speed it up for the actual processing part.

Speaker 1:

Oh, interesting. Okay, so do you spend more time in that resourcing?

Speaker 2:

so honestly, I used to do it in one session, but that's because I did. I only knew of four resources the place, a container to put all your negative emotions and things in it when you don't want to continue processing it.

Speaker 2:

I had an attachment team so that's creating like your nurturer, protector and wisdom figure and meeting with them wherever you wanted to, because you know attachment is the opposite of loneliness. So creating that team you can always have with you and a healing light that just kind of spreads over you and helps you heal. But now I have so many more. One of some of my clients' favorite is called the daily resource buddy, and so say they have trouble managing their time. Obviously they need a time management buddy or a mindfulness buddy, and so they create what that looks like and they, with the BLS playing slowly, they kind of go throughout a whole day with that buddy next to them to see what that day would be like.

Speaker 1:

Oh, that's really cool. That's like kind of the. I mean I don't want to say it's guided imagery, right, but I mean yeah yeah.

Speaker 2:

Right, there's an element of that, just installing it with that VLS so that it's really in there in the brain Right.

Speaker 1:

I love that because I did see, I remember just kind of with your background, your background with mindfulness techniques, right, it just sounds like it's a really powerful way to just kind of give the knowledge, the coping skills, the mindful technique and mindfulness technique and like really utilizing what we know about our actual, like our brain, right, yeah, so that's really cool. Yes, so you have that, and then you have the actual reprocessing, which might be later then, yeah, so after you get through phase two, which, honestly, phase two, lasts throughout the entire process, as well right, like you're always going to come back to resourcing, and part of the reason that you do the resourcing is you know they're in control, right?

Speaker 2:

So during an actual EMDR session, phases three through seven, while they're reprocessing and desensitizing if it gets too much, they can say stop at any time and then okay, well, let's use the container and put that away.

Speaker 2:

Or let's go to our place and, you know, relax, get stabilized. So there are many reasons for these. One is healing your inner child, and so that helps them understand how to do that in the EMDR session, because each part that was traumatized is going to need to be healed to reintegrate into that whole person. Wow. So phases three through seven are the actual EMDR session, where we pick a target, which is whatever traumatic event they want to target at that time, and you set it up through uh, I can't think of the word for the worksheet right now, but you set it up basically through, just like a preparation of like okay, what emotions are coming up here?

Speaker 2:

what is your suds level, your subjective unit of distress, um, where are you feeling? That in your body is very important, and we also come up with what is the negative belief that came from this trauma oh, wow and what would we rather believe? So you create that positive cognition that you want to change it to, and that is just next level yeah, I yeah, it changes their lives.

Speaker 2:

You know, like the two from dr dobo, the two biggest negative core beliefs that almost everyone has is either I don't matter or I'm not good enough. Oh wow, and it, like it, just is so layered in there. So there are several sessions that usually have to happen to really get them to the point that I am good enough or I do matter, and then their whole lives change after that. Right, these I don't matter. People are usually letting people walk all over them. They learn that they do matter and they're like oh, those people don't belong in my life. Yeah Right, like.

Speaker 2:

I need healthy relationships, because I deserve that.

Speaker 1:

Wow, well, and then I imagine it's a really powerful step towards other things that might be recommended in or you know that may come up in therapy. Like you know, I know right now there's a lot of conversations regarding, like, boundary setting and I can imagine it's a lot If there's that core belief that I don't matter. Maybe it's hard to like say my boundaries matter or these values matter. It might be hard to to do that, so I couldn't. I could imagine, right, I'm not in these sessions and I don't have that background, but I can imagine it just leads to a butterfly. Little about during, right, like, if it feels like really like it's too much, you can take a step back. Um, you talked a little bit about what it looks like to find the calm, calm place. What, what do people, what can clients expect to feel or experience during and after? Um, emdr, and I know it depends on the phase, right, but I'm just curious it is so different for every single person.

Speaker 2:

It is so it's so interesting how people let me talk a little bit about this. This just transitioned me to another place. So when we're in our trauma, especially as children, or just anytime we create a survival strategy right, create a survival strategy right, and so in that moment, whatever that strategy is helps us survive. But as we grow older, when we're not in that trauma anymore, that strategy is not very adaptive anymore. But we want to celebrate how strong that person was and how incredible our brains are to come up with these strategies. But those are our trauma responses.

Speaker 1:

Yeah.

Speaker 2:

And they can be anything and our trauma responses are going to come out in the MDR. Usually Like we're going to like if you didn't even know that there was a body response that you have to something, it's going to come out in the MDR. I've got a couple of clients who get really cold oh wow, processing and they wrap up in a blanket. I've got some clients who have to rock back and forth. I mean, there are just so many different things that can happen and it depends on what the trauma was too, Right, right, wow.

Speaker 2:

I mean, our bodies have a story too. Like our minds, our emotions and our bodies, they all have a story to tell.

Speaker 1:

Right, especially if you're activating through the brain. You know, the body I mean there's.

Speaker 2:

I'm sure there is that Phase eight is where we actually talk about all of those things too.

Speaker 2:

And you do tend to continue to process after a session, and that's always a debriefing right At the end. It's like, okay, you might continue to process a session, and that's always a debriefing right at the end. It's like, okay, you might continue to process. You might have dreams. Um, I usually ask clients to write down their dreams if they want to. Um, usually the ones that they need to talk about they're going to remember, so they don't actually have to journal. But, um, they'll come back for phase eight, which is in between the actual processing sessions, and we'll talk about what was any more processing you did and, oh, the positive cognition we got to. Where are we at with that? Like you believed that you matter a six out of seven. Are we still there? And then sometimes they're like I believe in a seven out of seven now because they did more processing, and sometimes you notice it and sometimes you don't.

Speaker 2:

It's so interesting.

Speaker 1:

And.

Speaker 2:

I think it also. You know, it depends on the person, like how busy were they that week? If they were so busy, and their brains doing their work for them. They don't even have to think about it.

Speaker 1:

Oh wow, no, I love that there's that. I guess, that session, that time period after that people can connect and really let it settle. I'm imagining like a snow globe, right, like there's a lot that happens and then just kind of let it. I'm assuming it takes some time to settle. Yeah, the generational trauma and I was asking about that. But in terms of what, someone might come to you and benefit from EMDR, maybe sometimes people ask specifically for EMDR. Maybe sometimes they come to you and then EMDR might be seen like a good option. I know there are a lot of. Probably it varies a lot based on the individual, just like the, the experience and the response to EMDR. But I'm curious if you just kind of have some examples of who EMDR might be beneficial for.

Speaker 2:

Okay, so I would love to provide EMDR to everyone.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, Well, I'm like. I think everyone could benefit additional trainings that I'm very interested in but haven't taken yet.

Speaker 2:

that would get you to a place where, okay, this person has DID. That's a completely different protocol, or I mean there are different protocols for like addiction and chronic pain and and autism.

Speaker 1:

Okay, yeah, I was curious. There's a brain trauma like a brain injury.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, there's something with a traumatic brain injury. That's different, but I do think that, and maybe not all the research is done with all of those things either, but I think that eventually we will have the knowledge and experience to be able to provide it to everyone. That's my dream and hope for sure?

Speaker 1:

Yeah, that would be incredible because I just, the more and more I talk to colleagues about EMDR, I mean I just I have an interest. I my plan is to to learn as much as I can and um look into certification, cause I I do think it's important, it's a valuable tool. I mean I just and when I would refer clients to someone who specialize in EMDR and I would hear back from them, I mean I didn't get to experience the transformation that happened during EMDR but it's undeniable. So I just it's a really easy referral for me to someone when I feel like this person might benefit from EMDR. Or speaking with this trauma specialist, it's a no brainer for me because I just know that I would be doing a disservice by preventing this amazing transformative healing option for them. So I'm sure you get to experience that firsthand.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, watching it it's, it's beautiful, it's amazing. Um, I have some star students come from such extreme developmental trauma and I've been seeing them for about two years and they're really in maintenance therapy now, like they're just trying to get to that point where they're like, okay, I know my new identity now and I'm ready to go forth. And a couple of them are actually seeking their own social work degrees Wow, that's incredible, that's a testament to the power and their own experience with it.

Speaker 1:

It's so nice to hear success stories, I think, especially because nice to hear success stories. I think especially because, well, sometimes I, when you're in that challenge, when you're in the struggle, when you're in the difficulty, it's, it's hard to, and especially the process of our mental health system, sometimes finding and accessing care and things can be yeah, the insurance and all the things it can be really hard to not lose a little bit of hope right, Like I am going to feel better.

Speaker 1:

This is going to lead me somewhere, and so that's also why I'm just so grateful that you share kind of what it looks like and to hear the transformation that your clients can experience, because just to have that hope right that things can get better and to share that inside perspective that is usually like behind private doors, you know, in therapy it's so confidential, so sometimes we don't really get to know what happens, right, unless we know someone who's experienced it or has shared. I'm curious were you always interested in EMDR, or what led you to EMDR?

Speaker 2:

Yeah, so when I started doing individual therapy, I almost immediately realized that the trauma and grief were the ones that I really was drawn to. I really felt like that was what my calling was for. And then I really just started researching trauma therapies, found EMDR to be. You know, it was an up and coming one. That was finally like getting a lot of that traction and awareness that it needed, and so I found Dr Dobo down in Melbourne.

Speaker 2:

Florida. My friend lives down there so I went and stayed with her and did the training during a hurricane. I was the hurricane class. We were like the coolest class we ever had.

Speaker 1:

Oh, wow.

Speaker 2:

And I'm actually moving down there in February because I loved it down there so much and everybody was so supportive. And I actually wanted to mention Sandra Stanford as well. She was one of the ones who taught me more of that resourcing for.

Speaker 1:

EMDR.

Speaker 2:

Oh wow, yeah, that additional so yeah, very important and like really helped me see how important that is. So, yeah, great community down there.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, that's incredible. So you know my question for you too, because right now you're in Alabama and you're going to be in Florida. You see clients that are based out of what states?

Speaker 2:

Both Alabama and Florida right now Mostly Alabama at the moment, just because that's where I am at the moment but I have started seeing people in Florida and once I go down in February I do want to start seeing in person as well. Right now I'm only doing telehealth, but I really feel like there's so much more you can get out of being in the same room, feeling that space and just, you know, getting that connection.

Speaker 1:

Yes, absolutely, and you know this question is especially regarding being a therapist yourself. I feel like I have so many questions for you. So, as an EMDR specialist, how do you practice self-care? I'm thinking, do you do EMDR for other therapists and for yourself? You know there's that, that you know the trauma that you're that you're helping to heal. Like you said in the beginning, like you do this wellness work, you're meant to be a healer, but how do you practice self-care, especially when dealing with trauma regularly?

Speaker 2:

So, um, I am a hundred percent into practice what you preach. Um, all of the homework that I come up with and a lot of it I come up with on the fly, right, like this person's having this issue oh, let's try this, see if that works and if I have anything that's similar to that, I'm going to do that too. I go to the gym three to five times a week. I love the community there. It's a cute little, like you know, family-owned gym gym. We're all friends and absolutely love it there. We're very supportive of each other and I really think community is a big deal and trying to live that healthy lifestyle going to the gym, trying to get that nutrition.

Speaker 2:

Obviously, you're going to make mistakes, try not to be perfect, which is something that I struggle with quite a bit, but letting go of that perfectionism and I do resource for myself. So we're we were told not to do full EMDR for ourselves, that we do need to get a therapist for that, which I did. Have my own EMDR therapist up until six months ago and I plan on getting another one when I moved to Florida as well, but I've worked through a lot myself so I've seen like firsthand how much it can heal you.

Speaker 2:

And obviously I'm a therapist so I believe in therapy and everybody needs one from time to time. Kind of get that secondary trauma out. Like you said, just release it. But all about the healthy releases, having the support you need, calling those supports when you need them, asking for help. I've got two emotional support dogs and we go on walks and picnics and I also love going to outdoor events. That's like one of my favorite things to do, so almost every weekend there's something going on somewhere around us.

Speaker 1:

Oh, that's nice, that's really nice. I love that you said that practice what you preach, because that's a whole other conversation about. You know graduate school and what it leads you to being a therapist, but I think it's important to you know being able to, to put into use the tools that you also are providing your clients. And also just a reminder for people listening you know therapists are navigating this messy life also, just like you and I. You know I've often heard people wonder like what, if you know, do I need to be a certain way or act a certain way? And I love that. You brought up the people pleasing and the perfection like you don't have to be perfect, like you know, and and hearing your passion for healing and just you know it's clear you love that. You love what you do and I'm going to make sure in the the show notes and to include your website. But what is the best way for people to get in touch with you if they're in Florida or in Alabama? What's the best way?

Speaker 2:

LauraThomasLICSWcom is the website. I'm pretty sure everything is on there, but you know my phone number and email and that's really the best way to get in contact with me.

Speaker 1:

Okay, well, laura, thank you so much for sharing your time and your insight with us, and thank you so much for being a part of our wellness journey today. Thank you and thank you.