The Trauma Nerd

“You might feel worse before you feel better”. It sounds like a disclaimer, a therapist butt-covering exercise if you will. I used to think so too. But after many years of doing trauma and EMDR therapy, I have learned that you can absolutely feel worse before you feel better. It is legit, but it does deserve some attention, because feeling worse and getting worse are not the same thing.That distinction changes everything about how you interpret what's happening when trauma therapy gets difficult.This episode covers:• The difference between feeling worse and actually getting worse• The dust on the mirror effect: what it is, why it happens, and why it's actually a good sign• Why the worst thing you can do when therapy gets hard is stop• What the research actually says about clinical deterioration from EMDRIf you've ever had a rough week after a therapy session and wondered whether you should keep going, listen to this.🎙️ Listen on Spotify, Apple or Youtube 📩 Join the mailing listFollow Helen: @helenbillows | @thetraumanerd