Monthly Archives: October 2018

How Does Trauma Affect Your Body?



Dr. Amelia Kelley sits down to chat about how trauma affects the body and strategies that you can use to reduce that trauma.  Dr. Kelley is an expert in using adjunctive therapies along with cognitive therapy to help those who have experienced trauma.  Dr. Kelley defines trauma and explains how trauma is stored in the body. She describes how practices like reiki, therapeutic touch, qigong, yoga, therapeutic massage, and meditation (which are all offered at her practice, Kelley Counseling and Wellness) in conjunction with traditional therapy help to reduce trauma’s impact on the body. Dr. Kelley even walks us through a mindfulness meditation!

Dr. Amelia Kelley, PhD, MS, LPC, ATR-P, RYT is licensed therapist with 15 years of experience. She is trained in Art Therapy, Hypnotherapy, Yoga Therapy and other adjunctive treatments for trauma such as EMDR, Prolonged Exposure, Imagery Rehearsal Therapy and Trauma Sensitive Yoga. She is the owner and supervisor of Kelley Counseling and Wellness in Cary, NC. Her practice is part of the Trauma Consortium at the Kinsey Institute at Indiana State University. Dr. Kelley has studied the effect of HIIT exercise on adults with ADHD as well as the effect of music on childhood creativity. She is a trained Level I and II Vinyasa Yoga teacher, a Yin Yoga certified teacher and a trained Restorative Yoga teacher. Dr. Kelley provides yoga therapy to individuals facing physical and mental health challenges to help reduce symptoms, address trauma in the body, help reduce addiction, restore balance and increase vitality. Her art therapy group work with the substance abuse population has been featured in the media as well as her advocacy for the licensure of Art Therapy in the state of NC. Dr. Kelley has been featured in the news as an expert discussing addiction to technology. She has also offered blog contributions in the areas of coping with ADHD in marriage as well as podcasts about Art Therapy in mental health. Additionally, she is a trained meditation teacher with a library of her teachings found on insight timer. Dr. Kelley is currently working on her first book examining healthy coping for an overactive nervous system in an overactive society.

For more information on Kelley Counseling and Wellness CLICK HERE

To access Dr. Kelley’s Insight Timer Meditation Page CLICK HERE


Is There a Link Between Trauma and Addiction?



I interview Jessika Sands about the link between trauma and addiction.  We discuss brain development, where trauma is stored in the brain, and why survivors of trauma are sometimes more likely to develop an addiction.

Jessika Sands, MA, LPC, LAC is a licensed therapist, licensed addiction therapist and EMDR consultant. She provides EMDR, Brainspotting, and substance use therapy at AspenRidge Recovery and in private practice. She recently started a Neurofeedback business.  She specializes in complex trauma, dissociative disorders, and chemical addiction.

Jessika is a trauma survivor that sought her own therapy at many different points in her life. She’s found the continued work on her own self-growth has given her the ability to truly help other trauma survivors. She believes each person’s journey is unique and has admiration for the clients she has had the opportunity to work with and looks forward to each new possibility of contributing to healing.

Click for Jessika’s webpage!

To learn more about…..
EMDR: Click Here
Brainspotting: Click Here
Neurofeedback: Click Here  and Here