Trauma Recovery Network Offers Free Therapy to Treat Thomas Fire, Montecito Mudslide Trauma

Are the recent storms and evacuation orders triggering unwanted traumatic memories, feelings, physical sensations and associations?

The Trauma Recovery Network (TRN) of Santa Barbara County (https://www.emdrhap.org/content/trn-chapter/43/) is offering a free Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) therapy group to those who are still having traumatic memories from last year’s Thomas Fire and Montecito mudslide.

The first group will meet from 4-5:30 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 24 at a Montecito location that will be shared with the participants only. Call now to sign-up as space is limited to only 12 participants. For more information and to sign up for an EMDR group, call Judith Rubenstein at 805-637-6850.

The traumatic effects of disasters, including nightmares, insomnia, unwanted memories of the trauma, avoidance of situations that bring back memories of the trauma, heightened reactions, anxiety and a depressed mood, can linger in the body and mind until properly treated.

This group is offered free of charge and will be facilitated by two experienced licensed EMDR therapists who have been trained in a special EMDR group protocol used internationally after major traumatic events.

Our initial team of trained therapists includes Ruth Ackerman, Ph.D., LCSW, Janet Giler, Ph.D., LMFT, and Judith Rubenstein, M.A., LMFT.

This adapted method of EMDR occurs in small groups and is limited to 12 people. The process starts with a grounding/mindfulness exercise, strengthening of inner resources before participants EMDR silently process points of disturbance from the traumatic event. There is no sharing out loud to the group of any disturbing memories but participants will have opportunities to share positive resources and outcomes in an encouraging and empowering format.

The Santa Barbara TRN is a member of an international EMDR Humanitarian Assistance Program (emdrhap.org).