Ashley Charbonneau (she/her)

Why is it important to work on trauma? Sometimes, our past continues to impact our present, and either we don't know why or we don't like it. Addressing what impacted us in the past can allow us to heal and move forward in a way we never have been able to before. I enjoy using EMDR as a modality to help people transform.

I primarily use Motivational Interviewing and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to address history of use, reasons for use, urges, and identification of healthy/alternative coping skills. I recognize trauma is the gateway to addiction and may suggest EMDR to work through trauma if appropriate.

Humans are naturally social creatures and require some sort of social connection and attachment throughout our lives. How we attach to others later on in life is largely dependent on relational patterns from our childhoods. Our early relationships with caregivers act as a blueprint to our adult attachment styles. Research suggests our early childhood relational experiences can dramatically affect the psychological and biological processes of the brain.

A common definition for trauma is anything less than nurturing. Although broad, this definition encapsulates the idea that a traumatic experience for one individual may not be traumatic for another. The effects may be different for each individual. EMDR therapy allows the brain to resume its natural healing process and is designed to resolve unprocessed traumatic memories in the brain. EMDR therapy does not require talking in detail about the distressing issue.