Understanding Narcissism: Why We Shouldn’t Villainize or Pathologize It

By:  Jennifer Youdom, LCSW-C

EMDRIA Consultant In Training

The term “narcissism” has become another buzz word these days, often wielded as an insult or shorthand for selfishness and manipulation. This caricature of narcissism paints a simplistic, villainous picture that can influence how we, as therapists, view and work with clients who exhibit narcissistic traits. But the uncomfortable truth is narcissism, as with most mental health terms and diagnoses we use in our field, lies on a spectrum. 

In fact, brain structures such as the Default Mode Network (DMN) hardwire us to engage in self-referential thinking in order to create a separate sense of self and protect it. In a healthy attachment childhood environment we can develop a sense of self while also learning to be attuned, empathetic, and compassionate toward others. 

While extreme cases may meet the criteria for NPD, many individuals display narc...

Mindfulness in Trauma Healing: How Mindfulness Practices Support Mental Health Recovery

By:  Jennifer Youdom, LCSW-C

EMDRIA Consultant In Training

Mindfulness comes from the Hindu and Buddhist traditions of sati and meditation techniques, and in recent decades has emerged as a transformative tool in the world of mental health, especially when it comes to healing trauma wounds. 

The effects of trauma include disconnection from one’s body, emotional dysregulation, and a pervasive sense of shame. Trauma disrupts a person’s ability to feel safe within their own body and mind. Survivors often experience intrusive thoughts, hyperarousal, dissociation, and avoidance of painful memories. These responses are rooted in the brain’s survival mechanisms, particularly the overactivation of the amygdala and dysregulation of the nervous system. 

Mindfulness offers an accessible and evidence-based pathway to healing. Mindfulness cultivates awareness of the present moment and gentle curiosity...

By:  Amanda Coval, MSW, LCSW

EMDR Certified, EMDR Consultant in Training

Honoring Women's History Month: Empowering Stories and Mental Health Insights

March is a time to celebrate women’s achievements and address challenges they face, including mental health—an area where empowerment and understanding are crucial for positive change.

Women, Mental Health, and History

Historically, women’s mental health concerns were dismissed and stigmatized. Terms like “hysteria” invalidated genuine issues, and societal norms discouraged seeking help. Today, advocacy and research, much of it led by women, are reframing this narrative. Mental health issues like PTSD, depression, and anxiety affect millions of women, exacerbated by societal pressures, caregiving roles, workplace discrimination, and trauma. Addressing these concerns requires tackling systemic barriers and promoting education, resources, and policy reform.

Women and Trauma: Breaking the Silence

Globally, one in three women experien...

By:  Cheyenne Bowman, LCPC

EMDR Trained

The Impact of Attachment Trauma

As a clinician, I have grown to love the nuances and complexity of treating attachment trauma. It is a type of trauma that is ingrained in our everyday life and has such a profound impact on the trajectory of our life and our satisfaction with it. Humans are wired for connection… So what happens when our first connections in life are less than ideal? We may find ourselves struggling with familial relationships, friendships, romantic relationships, and even professional relationships. Even though the dynamics of each of these are different, early attachment can influence them. For some helpful background information, I highly recommend checking out our blog from June 2024 that explains attachment trauma and attunement wounding. This will give you a great understanding of what constitutes this type of trauma and how it differs from treating “single incident trauma” like experiencing a car crash, etc. 

Origins of ...

By:  Shari Kim, Ph.D.

Member of Baltimore City Human Trafficking Collaborative

Former Chair of  Human Trafficking Subcommittee, Pennsylvania Psychological Association

Former Chair of Behavioral Health Workgroup, York County Human Trafficking Task Force 

Human trafficking is a multi-billion dollar industry harming millions of people worldwide.  Thriving in the shadows, it survives solely by our lack of ability to recognize it when it is right in front of us.

Most people think of human trafficking as people snatching young children in a scary white van, bringing people in from other countries in shipping crates, or kidnapping people on trips overseas.  Those images perpetuate myths that allow human trafficking to thrive, because they point our eyes in the wrong direction.  In truth, most people are trafficked by people who live in their communities or who meet them on social media.  Children, while overall statistically less likely to be trafficked, are more likely to be trafficked ...

By:  Callie Hildreth LCSW-C, LCSW

EMDR Trained

Top Trauma Therapy Techniques for 2024: New Approaches in EMDR, IFS, and Somatic Therapy

Trauma therapy has come a long way in recent years, with more diverse, evidence-based techniques emerging to help individuals heal from the impact of past experiences. As we approach 2024, trauma therapy is becoming increasingly innovative, combining traditional practices with new approaches that focus on the mind-body connection, emotional processing, and subconscious healing. Three therapeutic modalities that are gaining traction for their effectiveness and adaptability in treating trauma are EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing), IFS (Internal Family Systems), and Somatic Therapy.

In this post, we’ll explore the latest advancements in these therapies and how they are evolving to meet the needs of those healing from trauma.

1. EMDR: Advancing the Power of Dual Attention Stimulus

EMDR has long been recognized as an effective traum...

By:  Shari Kim, Ph.D

EMDRIA Consultant 

There is no official diagnosis for Complex PTSD, so it is easy for us to become confused about the nature of complex trauma. Social media provides us with conflicting and often erroneous information about diagnoses surrounding trauma, making us even more confused. Hopefully this information will help make things clear.

Complex trauma is defined as a series of traumatic events compiling onto one another.  For example, people who undergo repeated physical abuse or domestic violence over a period of years have experienced complex trauma. We call it complex trauma, because the initial traumatic event (e.g. the first experience of physical abuse) gets complicated by subsequent traumatic events; those events that follow cause additional trauma AND trigger the initial trauma at the same time. If we think of complex trauma in those terms, then, we can also understand that it does not have to be a series of events from the same abuser. Complex trauma c...

Cheyenne Bowman, LCPC

Everyone experiences dissociation at some point in their life, to varying degrees. Dissociation is a complex and unique response that our brain has to trauma. If a client is coming to you with this as a presenting concern, their dissociative symptoms may be interfering with important areas of functioning. That does not mean, however, that dissociation is not a powerful coping skill that may have served them at some point in life. The more we can understand dissociation and what causes it, the better able we can spot it happening, work to ground ourselves, and even begin to use it as an intentional coping skill that we can control.

If you’re curious about whether dissociation has become a problem for you, ask yourself: Is it interfering with important areas of my life such as relationships, free time, or work? Is it disturbing or upsetting to me? If the answer is yes to any of these, consider seeking help from a mental health professional.

It is important to be ...

Crystal L. Rainey, LCPC

EMDRIA Consultant

Little humans experience trauma too! Children and adolescents are resilient, but this does not mean they are immune to developing PTSD. They process differently than adults which means symptoms may present differently as well. These differences can sometimes lead to misdiagnosis and less effective treatment.

Diagnostic Criteria

The DSM-5-TR requires the presence of the following: Exposure, intrusive symptoms, avoidance, negative alterations in cognitions and mood, and alterations in arousal and reactivity. Duration of symptoms is more than one month, beginning or worsening after the onset of trauma, and causes clinically significant distress or impairment in social, occupational, or other important areas of functioning.

Sometimes diagnosing PTSD in children and adolescents is easy and clear cut. They are referred to therapy after experiencing a big T trauma such as a car accident and symptoms clearly relate to that trauma. They may have...

By:  Amanda Covalt, LCSW

EMDRIA Consultant

Window of Tolerance

Window of Tolerance is the window in which one can tolerate distressing emotions and use coping skills effectively. Distress can be subjective and some people cannot tolerate positive and/or negative emotions so when they experience these emotions, they become outside their window of tolerance. This window is important when performing trauma work because when one is outside their window of tolerance they are unable to process or cope with distressing emotions and memories. It is often necessary to take time for preparation prior to trauma work to increase window of tolerance to prevent dysregulation and retraumatization.

What does it mean to be outside the Window of Tolerance?

So how do we know when one is outside their window of tolerance? This window falls between hyper- and hypoarousal. When someone is in hyperarousal they are in fight or flight. They may be agitated, angry or anxious. They may be reactive, overst...