Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT) is a specific cognitive behavioral therapy for PTSD. It is 12 sessions of talk therapy and there is research evidence that is does work for many clients. However, we also know that trauma is often trapped in the body which is why sometimes "talk therapy" is not enough to get some people unstuck.  That is when EMDR can be very useful. 

EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) is a psychotherapy that enables people to heal from traumatic experiences.  Many clients can find relief on average in 3-20 sessions. In simple terms, a psychotherapist trained in EMDR moves his or her fingers in a back and forth motion as the client follows the movement with his or her eyes.  This is called bilateral stimulation.  It is not hypnosis.  The client is fully conscious throughout the process. 

Although not fully understood, it is believed that the eye movements mimic the state of REM (Rapid Eye Movement) that helps a person process the day's events while they are sleeping.  During an EMDR session, the psychotherapist processes the client's distressing emotions and negative thoughts associated with the trauma, along with decreasing their physiological arousal upon conjuring up the image of the traumatic event.  Attachment-Focused EMDR is a modified EMDR protocol that is especially helpful for complex trauma, otherwise known as childhood trauma. It forms new neural networks in the brain which can reduce feels of low grade depression and emptiness often associated with childhood neglect.

Internal Family Systems Therapy can be an adjunctive tool for helping clients get a deeper understanding of the different parts of themselves that they have developed to cope with trauma. Dr. Rojas uses the above trauma therapies depending on client’s needs and particular type pf trauma childhood abuse, infidelity, and other traumatic events.