Trauma & Abuse

Dr. Taji Huang, PhD offers EMDR Therapy in Glendale, CA, providing specialized treatments to help adults struggling with various mental health conditions. EMDR, or Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing, is a particularly effective form of therapy, especially for those dealing with trauma, PTSD, and stress disorders. With extensive experience and a compassionate approach, Dr. Taji Huang helps clients navigate their healing process.

Understanding EMDR Therapy & Its Benefits

EMDR therapy is a highly researched and evidence-based approach designed to alleviate the distress associated with traumatic memories.

Developed by Francine Shapiro, this therapeutic method has garnered significant recognition, including endorsements from the American Psychiatric Association and the International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies.

• Clinically proven for treating PTSD.
• Effective for various mental health conditions.
• Can replace or complement traditional talk therapy.
• Offers potential for rapid improvement.
• Suitable for a wide range of ages and backgrounds.

How EMDR Therapy Works

The brain processes memories differently under stress or trauma. EMDR therapy leverages the brain’s natural healing process to reprocess traumatic experiences, reducing their impact on your daily life.

The therapy involves eye movements, similar to those that occur during REM sleep, to help the brain rewire how it stores and recalls traumatic memories.

Breakdown Of EMDR Therapy Procedures

An EMDR therapy session follows a structured eight-phase approach to ensure effectiveness and safety for clients.

1. History-Taking & Treatment Planning
2. Client Preparation & Stabilization
3. Assessment Of Targeted Memories
4. Desensitization Through Bilateral Stimulation (eye Movements)
5. Installation Of Positive Beliefs
6. Body Scan To Identify Residual Tension
7. Closure To Ensure Emotional Safety Post-Session
8. Reevaluation In Subsequent Sessions

What To Expect In An EMDR Therapy Session

During an EMDR therapy session with Dr. Taji Huang, you will work together to identify specific problem areas or traumatic memories. The desensitization phase uses eye movements, tapping, or audio stimulation.

Each session’s objective is to change the emotional responses associated with negative memories and reinforce positive beliefs.

Why Choose EMDR Therapy For PTSD

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) can significantly impair daily functioning, relationships, and overall quality of life. Many traditional therapies take a long time to show results; however, EMDR therapy offers benefits more quickly for some clients.

Research supports EMDR as an efficient treatment method for PTSD, illustrating substantial improvements even in fewer sessions.

The Healing Process: From Trauma To Positive Beliefs

EMDR therapy doesn’t just target the mind; it considers the body and emotions too. Negative emotions often reside in deeper layers of our psyche, leading to adverse body sensations and behavioral issues.

Using the reprocessing stage, EMDR helps to unlock these stuck memories, allowing for adaptive information processing and the integration of positive beliefs.

• Rewires how memories are stored.
• Reduces negative emotions connected to traumatic experiences.
• Encourages healthier body sensations and mental states.

Experience the Transformative Power Of EMDR Therapy In Glendale, CA

If you’re seeking a path toward recovery and better mental health, EMDR therapy with Dr. Taji Huang in Glendale, CA might be the answer.

Start your journey towards healing and reclaim your life by contacting us today. Let’s work together to overcome the burdens of the past and build a brighter future. Make an appointment now to experience how EMDR therapy can transform your life.

FAQs

How Many Sessions Will I Need?

The number of sessions required varies based on the complexity of your trauma and your response to therapy. Dr. Taji Huang will assess and outline a customized treatment plan.

Is EMDR Therapy Safe?

EMDR is generally safe for most clients when conducted by a trained therapist like Dr. Taji Huang. However, discussing your specific medical history and mental health conditions is crucial to ensure the best approach.

What If I Find It Difficult To Talk About My Trauma?

EMDR allows you to process memories without having to extensively discuss them, which can make it an appealing option for those who find verbalizing distressing experiences challenging.

Dr. Taji Huang, PhD, offers brainspotting trauma therapy in Glendale, CA, providing a specialized approach to help adults overcome unresolved trauma.

As an innovative therapeutic tool, brainspotting is designed to access trauma trapped in the subcortical brain through focused eye positions and movements within the visual field. By identifying and processing distressing memories, this therapy empowers individuals to release stored trauma and alleviate associated mental health challenges, such as PTSD, depression, anxiety, and chronic pain.

Understanding Brainspotting

Brainspotting therapy is an advanced psychotherapy technique focusing on using eye positions to identify areas of the brain where emotional and traumatic experiences are stored.

This approach allows us to reach beyond the conscious mind and delve into the subcortical brain. By engaging the visual field, brainspotting helps individuals process unprocessed trauma in a profound and effective manner, offering relief from the burdens one might carry.

The Science Behind Brainspotting

At the core of brainspotting is the understanding that eye movement and position can reflect and access what’s buried deep within the subconscious. While it is similar to EMDR, brainspotting goes deeper into the innate connection between eye movements and the brain’s ability to process trauma.

By using specific eye positions, a brainspotting therapist identifies the brain spots that connect deeply with traumatic memories, encouraging the release and emotional healing often elusive in traditional talk therapy.

• Focuses On Subcortical Brain Processing
• Utilizes Visual Field Scanning
• Empowers The Emotional & Physical Release Of Trauma
• Facilitates Direct Access To Distressing Memories

Benefits Of Brainspotting Therapy

Brainspotting offers significant benefits for individuals struggling with a range of mental health issues. This therapy has proven particularly effective for those dealing with various conditions. In providing relief from these conditions, brainspotting aids in reducing symptoms and improving overall mental well-being.

• Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
• Depression
• Anxiety
• Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
• Chronic Pain & Fibromyalgia
• Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
• Unresolved Emotional Trauma
• Distressing Memories

How Brainspotting Works In Therapy Sessions

During a brainspotting session, the therapist helps individuals explore and understand their emotional experiences or traumas. The process begins with the therapist guiding the individual in identifying eye positions that seem to correlate with these emotional or traumatic experiences.

This is often referred to as “self-scanning,” where the individual becomes more aware of how different eye positions feel and which ones resonate emotionally with their specific memories or feelings.

Identification Of A Significant Eye Position

When a significant eye position — also known as a “brain spot” — is identified, this can be a pivotal moment in therapy. The belief is that certain eye positions can directly access and stimulate particular parts of the brain where the emotional trauma or distress is stored.

By focusing on this brain spot, the patient is able to connect more deeply with the underlying issues.

Emotionally Safe & Supportive Setting

Throughout this process, the therapist ensures that the individual remains in a mindful and emotionally safe setting. This supportive environment is essential for the therapy to be effective.

It allows the person to remain calm and present, which can lead to a form of psychological and physical release. This release is often described as cathartic, helping the individual process and lessen the impact of the traumatic memory, ultimately leading to healing and progress in therapy.

Transformative Healing & Emotional Freedom

Brainspotting is more than just a therapy; it is a path to emotional freedom, helping individuals to overcome trauma and chronic conditions with renewed hope. As mental health continues to be a critical aspect of overall well-being this approach offers a beacon of healing for those seeking relief from the weight of their traumatic experiences.

Why Choose Brainspotting with Dr. Taji Huang, PhD

Choosing to engage in brainspotting therapy with a credentialed therapist like Dr. Taji Huang can make all the difference. Her office in Glendale, CA, provides a safe, supportive space where clients receive personalized care tailored to their unique needs.

If you’re ready to overcome trauma and reclaim your life, consider exploring brainspotting therapy with Dr. Taji Huang in Glendale, CA. Experience an empathetic and cutting-edge approach to mental health that addresses and relieves long-standing issues. Reach out to us to begin your journey toward holistic healing and emotional resilience.

Dr. Taji Huang, based in Glendale, CA, specializes in addressing the aftermath of ritual sexual abuse, a deeply distressing and sensitive topic that leaves survivors with profound psychological scars. With her compassionate and expert approach, Dr. Huang helps survivors navigate the challenging journey of healing. As devastating as its aftermath is, healing from this profound trauma is possible with enough time and the right therapeutic support.

Defining Ritual Sexual Abuse

This heinous type of abuse occurs within the context of organized rituals or ceremonies—often, but not always, religious in nature. Perpetrators tend to be powerful authority figures, and they often target vulnerable individuals, such as children and devout religious believers, by exploiting their trust, respect, and devotion.

Where Does This Abuse Occur?

Ritualistic sexual abuse usually takes place in very secretive settings, making it challenging to detect and prevent. It may happen within cults, religious institutions, or even within seemingly ordinary families. The abusers use fear, guilt, shame, gaslighting, and other powerful manipulation tactics to keep you from telling others about what happened.

The Fallout For Survivors

Survivors of ritual sexual abuse often face a long and arduous journey to healing, sometimes extending decades after the abuse occurred. The consequences can be both physical and psychological and you may experience them to different degrees.

• Severe Psychological Trauma
• Dissociative Experiences
• Unexplained Physical Ailments
• Trust Issues
• Shame, Guilt, Secrecy, & Social Isolation
• Flashbacks & Nightmares
• Self-Harm & Suicidal Ideation

Severe Psychological Trauma

Sexual abuse survivors grapple with deep emotional scars, which can cause chronic anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). If the trauma occurred during a key developmental period, it can give rise to Complex PTSD (C-PTSD), borderline personality disorder (BPD), and dissociative identity disorder (DID).

Dissociative Experiences

Many survivors experience dissociation, a coping mechanism that detaches you from your own emotions, perceptions, and memories. If it sometimes feels like your body and thoughts are not your own, the world around you isn’t real, you don’t exist, or you’ve “skipped through” or “lost” periods of time, you likely experienced dissociation.

Unexplained Physical Ailments

Sometimes, we might not feel strongly emotionally connected to traumatic events, but that doesn’t mean they didn’t affect us. Oftentimes, people whose trauma response is to unconsciously block out or numb their emotions will instead have aches, pains, fatigue, and other physical symptoms of severe stress.

Trust Issues

Any type of sexual abuse erodes trust, making it extraordinarily difficult for survivors to build healthy relationships. However, ritualistic abuse is especially painful in that it can destroy your once-cherished trust in religion, spirituality, or your own family.

Shame, Guilt, Secrecy, & Social Isolation

Survivors will sometimes unjustly blame themselves for their abuse, carrying a heavy burden of shame and guilt. If the crime was committed by an esteemed community figure or religious leader, it can be even scarier to disclose the truth, for fear that no one will believe you or that you’ll be shunned by your entire community. Regardless of what your abuser told you, what they did was not your fault, and you deserve to seek out a safe and caring community that sides with you instead of your abuser.

Flashbacks & Nightmares

If you’ve lived through trauma, it might feel like you can never truly escape it. Vivid memories and nightmares might plague you constantly, and they feel just as real as the abusive events themselves. These are classic PTSD symptoms, but the good news is that there are many types of therapy specifically designed to target and reduce them.

Self-Harm & Suicidal Ideation

The flashbacks, shame, dissociation, and emotional turmoil of ritualistic sexual abuse are enough to drive anyone to the point of self-harm and even suicide. That being said, it is possible to heal from sexual and religious trauma, and you can take back control of your life. As difficult as it may be to believe right now, there is always hope, and you can turn your life into one you genuinely enjoy living.

How A Trauma-Informed Counselor Can Help

Recovery from ritualistic sexual abuse is a challenging process that requires professional support, understanding, and compassion. Therapists, support groups, medications, and helplines can all provide you with a lifeline for healing. With enough time and support, you can learn how to not just survive but to thrive.

Rebuilding Trust & Self-Worth

Therapy for ritual sexual abuse survivors can play a pivotal role in helping you rebuild trust in yourself and the world around you. A good mental health provider will empower you to challenge negative self-perceptions, providing you with a safe space to work through your trauma at your own pace.

Proven Therapy Options For Ritual Sexual Abuse Survivors

There are many scientifically-backed healing modalities to aid you in your healing journey. Your therapist may recommend some, or you might want to ask about ones that you have heard of before to see if it might work for you.

• Eye Movement Desensitization & Reprocessing (EMDR)
• Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)
• Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
• Schema Therapy For BPD
• Relationally-Focused Therapy
• Biofeedback Practices
• Emotional Freedom Technique (“Tapping” Therapy)
• Art Therapy
• Guided Meditation, Mindfulness, & Yoga

Healing From Spiritual Trauma

For some ritual sexual abuse survivors, regaining trust in spirituality is a crucial component of therapy. This can involve individually exploring new religions, developing your own form of spirituality, finding other survivors of the same faith, or even reintegrating into a more supportive branch of your old religious community.

Of course, if you no longer tolerate spiritual beliefs at all, that’s completely valid as well—there are plenty of secular, humanist, and atheist support groups out there dedicated to helping people heal from religious trauma.

Empowerment & Resilience

A trauma-informed therapist like Dr. Taji Huang in Glendale, California will help you develop coping mechanisms and find your voice. By carefully revisiting past events, you can ultimately reframe the traumatic memories from a more empowered perspective, freeing yourself from the abuser’s reign once and for all.

What Dr. Taji Huang Can Provide

• Mental Health Evaluations
• Trauma-Focused Therapy
• Safety Planning
• Family & Relationship Therapy
• Holistic Healing Approaches
• Education & Psychoeducation
• Referrals To Medication Prescribers & Legal Advocates

Reclaim Your Life After Abuse

It’s essential to remember that healing is always possible, even if it doesn’t feel within reach at the moment, and even if past treatments have failed. Although the effects of ritualistic abuse are profound, with the right support, you can build better self-esteem, foster healthy and loving relationships, and be the author of your own life story. Schedule an initial appointment with Dr. Taji Huang today to see if she’s a good fit for you.