Counseling Take time and look at our short Treatment & Trauma Recovery by clicking on the image below:
Those who have served this nation as a military member or veteran who deployed to hostile forward areas and combat zones have experienced trauma. Of course, these military members and veterans have been exposed to repeated traumatic events for extended periods of time which can impact them throughout the rest of their lives unless properly treated. We can help.
Truama comes in many forms. Here are some other ways in which people can suffer the impact of trauma:
Of course, first responders experience truama more so than any other sector of society. Of course, many first responders, such as police officers, firefighters, paramedics, and others have been exposed to repeated traumatic events for extended periods of time. Repeated exposure to tramatic events builds up over time and compounds the impact on these heroes to our communities. Many delay getting the help that they need, as they do not want to appear weak to their co-workers who completely misunderstand the neuropsychological effects of exposure to trauma. Yes, it takes brave people to run toward danger that others are fleeing from, but regardless of how brave you are, trauma can impact anyone. We can help.
Event-Related TraumaSometimes people encounter an event that results in them being traumatized. For example, some have been in horrific automobile accidents and find themselves reliving the even in their mind over and over again. Perhaps you were a victim of a criminal act, for example, being robbed or raped. This can also result in being traumatized. Perhaps you lived through a natural disaster, such as a tornado, wild fire, or other event. You don't have to carry the fear that you felt with you for years to come. We can help.
You don't have to be a first responder to have faced traumatic events or crisis situations. Others have encountered personal trauma or crises events, such as the sudden loss of a loved one in an accident or catastrophe, endured hardships or suffered an injury or major illness that turns life upside down. Some have lived in homes where domestic violence occurred often, leaving the family members uncertain if they would face trauma on a daily basis. At Counseling Connection of Knoxville, we understand the importance of delivering treatment to those who have experienced traumatic or crisis events.
Dr. Scoggins began working with those impacted in traumatic events by serving with Trauma Intervention Programs of Northwest Florida from 2000 to 2005. She also worked as a family reunification interventionist for children who had been separated from their families, often due to domestic violence, and unserstands the impact cointinued exposure to DV can have on children. For many years, Dr. Scoggins completed training as a Military Family Life Counselor and deployed to military installations in Kentucky, Alaska, Germany, and was even sent to Japan immediately after the devestating earthquake and tsunami where she stayed for months providing support. Since 2017, for 20 hours per week she serves as the clinical mental health services provide for the City of Knoxville, providing support to first responders, as well as all other municipal employees and their family members.
In adddition, since 2010, Dr. Scoggins has completed extensive training in Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), a neuropsychological approach to treating those with PTSD. Brain scans in clinical settings have shown the effectiveness of this type treatment with those who have PTSD. (More about this is mentioned on the first responder and military pages on this site.)
Dr. Scoggins is also a Board Certified Trauma Treatment Specialist with the Association of Traumatic Stress Specialists. To attain this, she had to provide years of proof of service in treating trauma, an academic background that included extensive professional training in trauma treatment, and professional endorsement by supervisors and other clinical service professionals. Although she was required to have at least 500 hours of direct experience treating those with PTSD, in 2017 she had already recorded 2,077 hours of trauma treatment. (That's the equivalence of treating 8 people with PTSD per day for a full 60 minutes each, every day with no holidays or vacations for more than an entire year.)
We believe Dr. Scoggins is likely the most qualified trauma treatment specialist in Knoxville and East Tennessee. If you believe you may suffer from the effects of PTSD, let us know. Get the help you need as soon as possible!
Domestic Violence-Related TraumaSometimes adults find themselves in relationships with abusers. Perhaps your significant other was an incredibly loving, gentle and sweet person until you moved in together or got married. Then the "Mr. Hyde" version started showing up bringing terror to a relationship that you had initially founded in love. This abuse may be physical, sexual or verbal, but regardless, the scars of trauma set in and impact your life for years to come. We can help.
Sometimes children were the focus of abuse by a parent, either through physical abuse, sexual abuse, or verbal abuse. The abuse that children encounter can result in the scars of trauma that follow them well into their adult years. We can help.
If you have not yet visited the trauma page on this site, please do. Dr. Scoggins has completed extensive training in EMDR initially in Bethesda, MD over a period of four months in 2010, with additional courses of instruction in advanced EMDR over the years thereafter, attaining the level of being a Master EMDR provider. Dr. Scoggins works with individuals at the level in which they are comfortable, with the 36 inch scanning green light bar shown in the image on our home page of our office, as well as sensors for the palms of the hands and headphones used in the treatment.
EMDR is a neuro-psychological approach to treating PTSD. In essence, it resets the neurotransmitters in the brain and the result is a significant reduction in the recurring stressful thoughts, as shown in the red in the brain scans on the right. Ten police officers involved in line of duty shootings we the subjects of this study and the scan on the right shows the effect of completion of a series of EMDR sessions over the weeks following the incidents. This case study is one of many which serve as scientific evidence that EMDR is effective in providing positive results to those receiving the support.
If you have PTSD, get in touch with us right away. We can help!
