Trauma (EMDR and BSP), Perinatal and Parenting Support

While not the sole reason for client’s difficulties, trauma has happened to almost every person who walks through the door (or shows up on the teleconferencing screen) even with such diagnoses as Generalized Anxiety Disorder and Obsessive Compulsive Disorder . Trauma wounds form when basic needs for protection and safety are not met. EMDR and Brainspotting are powerful tools for working through such traumas as car accidents or rapes. Sometimes, however, wounds occur because of what individuals fail to get including unconditional loving connection, validation and support. Without basic needs being met, relational trauma happens. Relational trauma is often more pervasive and difficult to treat, shaping almost every aspect of a person’s life, leaving low self-worth, chronic anxiety, depression and a whole host of other symptoms in its wake. When neurodivergence and/or neglect is also part of the clinical picture, trauma is usually even more present. I can help you be curious about neurodivergence and neglect in your clients helping you to support your client through psychoeducation, attunement, and resource building. I can help you to target the trauma caused when neurodivergent or neglected individuals live in a demanding, neurotypical world.

A powerful way to begin addressing relational traumas is through Ego State work which pairs nicely with EMDR and other trauma-based interventions. In particular, I use Developing Needs Meeting Strategy (DNMS), Internal Family Systems (IFS) and somatic techniques to connect with the parts of clients who are stuck in the past. These parts do not realize that the danger is over and that their needs can now be met. For more information about DNMS, click on this link: https://dnmsinstitute.com/clients/slideshow/

 I can help you complete your training hours in EMDR while nurturing you to become the confident, capable EMDR practitioner that you aspire to be. I can teach you how to work with relational traumas, even with your most stuck, wounded clients. I can also help you to integrate EMDR with DNMS (and in all the other ways that you work as well) so you can provide the best treatment possible for all your clients. For more information on EMDR go to: https://www.emdria.org/about-emdr-therapy/

Women’s Life Stage Mental Health and Parenting Consultation

With over 20 years of experience in working with pregnant and postpartum women as well as parents with young child (zero to 6 years of age). I can help you learn new skills and be at the top of your game as a therapist.  With perinatal clients, I can help you discern the difference between hormonal, self-care/supportive, identity, attachment and trauma issues, and how to best to approach each of these. I can help you to integrate your EMDR/DNMS work with the special needs of the perinatal and parenting population. I can also support you to work with issues of perinatal loss including infertility, miscarriage, stillbirth, and birth and NICU trauma. Having worked with women of all ages supporting them through issues related to reproductive health (PMDD, menopause and perimenopause), I can provide you with the knowledge and tools that you will need to support these transitions in a woman’s life.

 Supporting a parent to be their very best with a toddler/preschooler takes a very different skill set than working with a parent with a baby. I can help you to support struggling parents to feel better about themselves as they learn to set healthy, loving limits with their children ultimately creating stronger parent-child bonds that feel better for everyone.

About Terri Buysse:

I have a Ph.D. in clinical psychology and have been working with trauma in various forms since my graduate days including with children in foster care and adults who have been emotionally, sexually and physically abused. I became a certified EMDR practitioner in 2018 and now have my Advanced Certification as well. I am currently a consultant in training. I completed the basic DNMS training in 2018. I currently consult regularly with a therapist who specializes in integrating EMDR and DNMS techniques.

I completed post-doctoral training in 2000 through the Infant-Parent Program at UCSF/San Francisco General Hospital.  I received my Perinatal Mental Health Certification (PMH-C) in 2020 and have been doing EMDR processing on a very regular basis for three years.  I worked for 10 years as a parent educator in the Family Life Education Dept. (FLED) at Edmonds Community College and love to support new parents.  My parenting work is informed by Nurtured Heart, Positive Discipline, and the theories of Daniel Siegel, M.D. I have been in private practice since 2013 working with survivors of trauma and perinatal women, new parents and families. I also have expertise in helping individual overcome intrusive thoughts and other symptoms of OCD.