Trauma hurts. It can be sudden, life-altering and overwhelming, or chronic, subtle and nearly unnoticeable, but either way it can change the way we think about others, the world, and unfortunately, ourselves. Dealing with the aftermath—changes in our relationships, lashing out toward self or others, feeling nothing and/or everything all at once—is sometimes as hard as the initial event, especially when society, friends and family and our own minds tell us to “just get over it.” Worse, sometimes we aren’t even sure where the trauma came from in the first place, leaving us confused and even feeling hopeless. If you could just “get over it,” you would, but sometimes the brain simply cannot process traumatic events without help, and this is why trauma therapy exists. :) I'm an LPC (Licensed Professional Counselor) in Texas. I've been in practice for nearly 15 years and have been doing EMDR therapy for 13 of those. I specialize in helping teens and adults process trauma of all kinds. My goal is to help my clients gain the skills needed to process and adapt to traumatic memories, and then allow them to do so in a safe environment. I teach them how to build boundaries and follow through, and to treat themselves with self-compassion rather than judgment and harsh expectations. Trauma doesn’t have to ruin (or run) your life. If you’re hurting, please know I’d be happy to help in any way I can.
In our first session together, we will go over basic details (who you live with, significant people in your life, what you do, etc), and then begin talking about what brought you to therapy in the first place. If there is time and you have questions, we can talk about EMDR therapy and what it can do for you.
I am the type of therapist who will tell you what I think you NEED to hear, not what you might WANT to hear. Sometimes that is uncomfortable, even thought I always try to do so tactfully. I'm not the kind of therapist to simply hold your hand and reflect your thoughts back at you; there are other therapists for that and it's great that they exist, but that's not me.
I love working with people who are ready to ready to really process their trauma and not just shove it in the closet. They've mostly already tried that and are sick of it popping back up at the worst times. They may feel like their childhood (or other traumatic events) have followed them for years and that they will never have peace. They want to not just say they are letting it go, but actually gain the tools to do so.
Stacy Pulley offers therapy covered by UnitedHealthcare/Optum - Medicaid in Texas.
I've been doing EMDR therapy for over 13 years. In my experience, EMDR therapy seems to help the brain makes links that do not happen spontaneously through talking or thinking. As a result, the brain is much more likely to let go of old emotions and sensations. I've had great success in helping people with all kinds of trauma with EMDR therapy, whether "Big T or little t" traumas.