07: Big T’s and Little T’s: Trauma and EMDR Therapy with Rachel Harrison

Rachel Harrison, LCPC, NCC shares her personal experience with trauma and how it led her to become a trauma specialist. She believes that trauma is often the root of many mental health symptoms and that everyone has experienced trauma to some degree. Simply having insight into the trauma does not necessarily stop the behavior or distress. EMDR therapy works by taking the distress away and decreasing the body and emotional response to traumatic memories, allowing clients to remember the event without feeling the associated negative emotions.

Tune in to learn how EMDR therapy works, the importance of attachment styles in healing trauma, as well as the concept of memory networks and how they can impact our behavior and emotions. 

About Rachel: 

Rachel Harrison, LCPC, NCC is passionate about training therapists to be effective in treating trauma. She is the Founder & Clinical Director of Trauma Specialists of Maryland, Trauma Specialists of Delaware and The Trauma Specialist Training Institute. She is an EMDRIA approved trainer and consultant, offering EMDRIA approved EMDR trainings nationally. 

Rachel brings 25 years of experience as a therapist specializing in the treatment of complex trauma and attachment. She is a member of the adjunct faculty at Hood College, providing courses in trauma, EMDR, Group Therapy, and Attachment Theory in Clinical Practice. Additionally, she serves as a Consultant for the GRITT, a network of volunteer EMDR therapists serving the Frederick community, including first responders, police and firefighters by providing both crisis services and pro bono EMDR Sessions at no cost following exposure to human made or natural disasters. She offers both community and professional training in attachment parenting, working with children, the treatment of trauma, EMDR, dissociation and adoption, among other topics. 

Rachel believes in treating trauma, specifically using EMDR to heal our communities. She has been delving into the topic of growing leaders in her businesses and in the community. To this end, her new project is a podcast entitled Leadership Evolution, interviewing community leaders on the topic of leadership and its evolution over the last several years.

Instagram: @trauma_specialist

Facebook: Trauma Specialists Training Institute 

Website: https://www.traumaspecialiststraining.com/

Key Topics:

•  [06:30] EMDR Therapy and how it can be used to treat trauma
•  [09:15] Memory networks and dissociation of memory
•  [15:50] The importance of body awareness
•  [23:15] Attachment styles and the impact of attachment wounds on relationships
•  [30:15] Finding compassion while processing trauma

Connect with Kasey and Kelsey:

Website: kaseycompton.com/backporchbestie

Instagram: instagram.com/hikaseycompton

Facebook: facebook.com/hikaseycompton