North Carolina Trauma Recovery Network offering free therapy sessions in response
SOUTHPORT, N.C. (WECT) - The North Carolina Trauma Recovery Network (NCTRN) is organizing four complimentary pro bono EMDR therapy sessions for individuals directly impacted by Saturday night’s tragic shooting in Southport.
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) therapy is best used in crisis situations to help reduce the effects of the event, according to NCTRN co-coordinator Shanna Reyes.
“Research shows there can be a substantial reduction in the effects of this event that could cause people to develop symptoms of trauma or PTSD,” said Reyes. “And those rates for a single incident of trauma can be up to 84% to 100% of a reduction.”
The best use of this therapy is for situations like Saturday’s shooting in Southport, especially for those who arrived first on the scene.
“Very bad scenes are imprinted in some of the first responders’ minds because of the scene they walked into,” said Southport Fire Department Chief Charles Drew.
The Southport Fire Department arrived within minutes of the shooting.
“Once law enforcement cleared the scene, they went right into the area where the shooting victims were and started treating patients and getting them transported to the hospital,” said Drew.
The mass shooting and loss of life were unlike anything most first responders have dealt with before.
That’s why NCTRN put out an all-call for clinicians.
NCTRN is a newly established group, formed in response to Hurricane Helene.
They are in the early stages of this program and have not yet treated anyone in Southport, but are looking for licensed clinicians who have completed basic EMDR training.
“Besides reaching clinicians, we need to reach community entities,” said Reyes. “Police departments, emergency responders, and other entities that are response coordinators, or assist in these types of situations.”
Reyes advises those impacted by the shooting to take action and seek help now, since traumatic events are not easily forgotten.
“Early intervention is a preventative care,” said Reyes. “Trauma symptoms can develop hours, days, months, and years later. This is the best thing you can do for yourself. To come to us and get this treatment so that you prevent a future with symptoms that maybe you had no clue were going to pop up for you.”
And having each other to lean on goes a long way, too.
“We’re a good department, a family-oriented department, and we try to stress that nobody needs to be an island by themselves. Everyone needs to communicate and talk. Our members were checking on people who responded to the scene,” said Drew.
Reyes stressed that nobody anticipates negative reactions to traumatic events, making it crucial to take proactive measures now to improve your well-being, as well as that of your family and friends.
Experiencing tragedy can cause someone to become unable to return to a specific place or be around certain people. It could feel out of control, different or unusual, according to Reyes.
The session would differ from typical “talk therapy”, using specialized techniques to process traumatic events.
“The clinician would use a specific protocol that helps to release those negative memories. You won’t forget the memories, but you may have a different resolved perspective,” said Reyes.
To learn more about the program or how to volunteer, visit nctrn.org or emdrhap.org.