Re-experiencing
- Intrusive memories of what happened
- Flashbacks or the feeling it is happening again
- Nightmares about the event
- Intense reactions to smells, sounds or images
- Sudden fear or panic at a trigger
Have you experienced something life-changing that you cannot seem to let go of? Perhaps you struggle with intrusive memories, nightmares, avoidance, feelings of unsafety, or you are constantly on edge.
Traumatic experiences can influence how you feel, think and respond for a long time. With Nadia El Amrani, psychologist, we explore together what keeps your symptoms going and work, through a personal treatment plan, towards processing and recovery.
After an overwhelming experience, your body can keep responding as if the danger is still present. You may avoid situations, startle easily or be unexpectedly overwhelmed by memories and emotions.
A psychological trauma can arise when you experience something that is very threatening, shocking or overwhelming. Examples include a traffic accident, violence, sexual abuse, a robbery, war, a medical procedure, sudden loss or another drastic event.
Repeated or prolonged experiences can also cause trauma symptoms. Think of emotional neglect, bullying, domestic violence, control, humiliation or growing up in an unsafe environment. Not only the event itself matters, but also how you experienced it and what support you received afterwards.
Many people recover on their own over time. When symptoms persist, remain severe or limit your daily functioning, there may be trauma-related complaints or post-traumatic stress disorder, also called PTSD.
After a trauma, your alarm system can remain extra sensitive. A sound, smell, place, touch or particular situation can then suddenly trigger fear or tension, even when you are objectively safe at that moment.
Trauma and PTSD can show up in memories, emotions, physical tension and changes in behaviour. Not everyone experiences the same combination of symptoms.
After an overwhelming event, your brain tries to understand what happened and how to protect you in the future. Sometimes the memory is not properly processed, so your alarm system can stay active even though the danger has long passed.
When an experience is too threatening, sudden or intense, your brain may struggle to store it as something from the past. The memory then remains emotionally very present.
Trauma symptoms can also arise from prolonged exposure to violence, abuse, neglect, humiliation, control, war, bullying or an unpredictable home situation.
Sounds, smells, images, places, touch or situations can unconsciously remind you of the trauma. Your body then reacts again with fear, tension or panic.
Avoiding often brings short-term relief. But in the longer term, your brain never learns that the memory or situation can now be safe. As a result, the fear persists.
After a trauma, thoughts can arise such as: "I am not safe", "It was my fault", "I cannot trust anyone" or "I am powerless". These beliefs can reinforce the symptoms.
Shame, self-blame or feeling disbelieved or unsupported can hinder processing. Too little rest and new stress can also keep symptoms going.
Trauma treatment helps your brain to finally process the event. The memory does not disappear, but it can lose its emotional charge, so that it influences your daily life less and less.
During the first consultation we carefully map out what you have been through, which symptoms you experience and which situations or memories trigger them. We also look at your resilience, sense of safety, daily functioning and what you need to follow the treatment at a pace that suits you.
EMDR is a widely used and scientifically researched treatment for trauma and PTSD. During EMDR you briefly focus on a distressing memory while being distracted at the same time, for example by eye movements. This allows the memory to be reconsolidated with less tension and emotional charge.
Depending on your symptoms, cognitive behavioral therapy, imaginal exposure, ACT or schema therapy can also be used. In CBT we examine, among other things, negative beliefs about yourself, others and the world. With imaginal exposure, the memory is processed in a safe and structured way, so avoidance decreases and your brain learns that the danger is over.
ACT can help you relate differently to fear, tension and difficult emotions, while making room again for what matters to you. Schema therapy can be suitable when traumatic experiences have led to persistent patterns, such as distrust, self-blame, emotional shutdown or the feeling of always having to stay alert.
We explore which memories, situations, thoughts and bodily reactions are connected to your trauma symptoms.
Where needed, we first work on emotion regulation, sleep, daily structure and ways to better tolerate tension.
With for example EMDR or imaginal exposure, we process memories that still trigger a lot of fear, sadness, shame or tension.
We examine thoughts such as "It was my fault" or "I am nowhere safe" and work towards a more realistic and helpful picture.
You learn to no longer automatically avoid situations, feelings or memories, and you experience that tension can subside again.
We focus on restoring trust, boundaries, relationships and activities, so that the trauma determines less and less how you live.
Every traumatic experience is different. That is why there is no standard treatment. Together we explore which events cause your symptoms and which treatment methods best fit your situation, so you can recover step by step.
We work with effective methods such as EMDR, cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), imaginal exposure, ACT and, where needed, schema therapy.
No two traumas are the same. That is why the treatment is tailored to your symptoms, background, goals and pace.
Therapy is possible in French, English and Arabic (Moroccan Darija), with attention to your cultural and religious background when that matters to you.
Not only reducing symptoms matters, but also strengthening resilience, safety and trust in yourself and the future.
Amsterdam and online
FR · EN · AR · Darija
CBT · EMDR · ACT
Personal and goal-oriented
Traumatic experiences can have a major impact on your life, but recovery is possible. Together we work on processing, so that the past determines less and less how you feel and how you live. You are welcome for a first consultation online.
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