Victoria Ford, M.S., LMFT
EMDR and Somatic Therapist
I specialize in gently treating adult clients to resolve relationship injuries and other traumatic experience.
I offer extended sessions for a spacious experience, allowing for maximum healing with least disruption to your routine
Trauma hurts our bodies, and disrupts our life.
Read on and follow your intuition.
Effective Therapy
I am currently on sabbitical. I will schedule for new clients in April to begin treatment in May 2022. At this time I am not returning messages or taking a waitlist, and I'll update this page as soon as I am!
Do you have the sense that the problem you are experiencing now is related to something in your past? You've tried to shake it and are frustrated that "it's not gone yet"?
I support adult clients in resolving relationship injuries and other trauma experiences so that they feel better, through EMDR-informed and Somatic Experiencing® extended sessions.
Extended sessions, called Intensives, are longer duration than one hour,
are change focused,
and range from 90 minutes to 3 hours at once.
Extended sessions an alternative to weekly hour sessions,
which I no longer provide, in favor of what is more effective and gentle.
I bring in a Somatic Experiencing® approach, which supports healing in a gentle way. This therapy goes beyond listening and empathizing, and is change focused.
"Somatic" means body; we bring some attention to how feelings and experiences are landing in your body; this is not about asking you to "do" something with your body.
Evidence shows that when we pair our attention to thoughts, feelings and body sensations, we can complete processing of something that was stuck.
The result?
We feel better.
Your sessions are personally designed with consideration for your history, your current life, your goals, your beliefs and spirituality as it is important to you.
Clients have the opportunity to get relief sooner with this alternative model to weekly therapy.
The key is...we slow things down and pace ourselves in order to safely hold what is here, without overwhelming you.
Left untreated, early childhood wounds can create attachment injuries that leave us with unsatisfying adult relationships, and with much higher risk for medical illnesses. (ACES Study)
Left untreated, trauma and relationship injuries often leave us disconnected
from our own body and mind. That hurts our relationships and sets of symptoms may collect in our bodies. There is another way.
Dedicate some focused time to your own life, and your future self.
Reconnect with your joy and life and playfulness. Your resilience and new perspective on life is waiting to be discovered.
The world needs your light, your true authentic self,
engaging and participating as You!
Lean in to some support, find your brave and take the next step to feeling better.
When it feels right for you,
connect with victoria@waterstreetcounseling.com for May 2022 scheduling.
Alternative Treatment Design
Supportive Extended Sessions
Talk therapy alone is outdated
Talk therapy alone is outdated
Therapy with Victoria is a spacious and gentle experience with extended sessions to tend to what brings you.
We are focused and motivated by your goals. We move gently so that you can tolerate and integrate the work and changes.
This is evidenced based therapy, researched and effective.
Couples and individual adults are invited to participate in EMDR & Somatic Therapy Intensives (extended sessions) and what a brave way to evolve your lives and potentially future generations.
Talk therapy alone is outdated
Talk therapy alone is outdated
Talk therapy alone is outdated
Research supports that trauma and distress live in the body and nervous system.
Trying to talk through trauma does not heal it. That's not how the brain works and neuroscience is consistently teaching us this.
The body remembers.
I use EMDR & Somatic Experiencing® effectively to treat trauma, chronic stress and relationship injuries that are "stuck" in the body so that you feel better.
I routinely see lives change and yours can too.
Support for your Whole Self
Talk therapy alone is outdated
Support for your Whole Self
Trauma is sneaky.
It creates disconnection - not just between people but within our own selves, clear down to how our nervous system is reading signals on a daily basis.
That wreaks havoc on our relationships, especially the closest ones.
I provide a unique blend of therapy that includes the body, heart, mind and spirit to come back into alignment.
What could I work on in an Intensive with you?
Childhood Relationship Injuries
Most of us have some injuries we experienced in childhood - from family, other adults, or other children. This ranges from embarrassing to abuse or neglect experiences. Get relief.
Adult Relationship Injuries
Most of us also have experienced injuries in our adult life - from couple relationships, bosses, friends or family. Get relief.
Chronic Stress
This pattern can result from past trauma that is living in the present; relief and change is possible.
Medical trauma
This is often an unrecognized trauma that can stick around and have more impact than we realize. Surgeries, ER experiences, procedures or witnessing them of a close other are all important to reprocess and will benefit your body/mind to heal. This includes birth trauma - either your own birth or trauma giving birth.
Upcoming Medical Procedure
If you are about to undergo one or more medical procedures, come for 1-2 sessions of rich support for your body, mind and heart. I have had multiple surgeries in my life, and so wish I had known about this beneficial resource. Protect your mind and body with co-created resources based on Somatic Experiencing® principles and EMDR positive future planning. It's more than just good wishes; learn this process and you can use it forever and share with others!
Covid
A pandemic is a collective trauma, and it touches us personally to varying degrees. Mostly we are prone to dismissing its impact, which is a protective survival response itself. Your experience matters around this, and there is a way to support your body through it.
Car Accidents, Disasters, Violence, Assault
These are classic examples of trauma of course. However, car accidents and falls are included here as well. This is treatable.
Complicated or Traumatic Grief
Grief is hard enough. But sometimes it's even harder - examples are grieving someone who died by suicide, or suddenly, or violently. Grief takes many forms and if you're experiencing it and feeling stuck around it, EMDR & Somatic Therapy could be very helpful.
Why do I offer Intensives?
Why am I inspired to offer Intensives?
Number one, it is effective.
I have a front row seat to witness lives change for the better, and often dramatically.
I witness clients get better sooner.
For over 20 years I have enjoyed working with children, families and couples as well as adult individuals.
I witnessed how unresolved trauma was causing so much pain and disruption in families. Now I work with individual adults, and in some cases couples, that are carrying burdens they are motivated to release. They heal...and everyone benefits!
About Victoria
Compassionate, Competent and Skilled
I can help you effectively and kindly. How you are in the process matters; you deserve a focused, flexible and effective approach.
I am a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist in both Missouri and Kansas.
I have a Master's degree in Family Therapy from Friend's University 2000. I have extensive post graduate professional trainings ranging from treating trauma, couples therapy, children and family, Somatic Experiencing, EMDR Therapy. Trauma Conscious Yoga, and spiritual approaches to healing.
From a very young I have felt a loving connection with the spiritual world in general. This strongly felt connection has evolved, and saved me through difficult periods in my life, as well as given me great joy, insight, hope and healing. I've attended to this part of my existence and nature, and I'm delighted to say this continues to evolve. This connection helps me to support my clients from the deepest level, and has nothing to do with an agenda, or pushing any beliefs on my clients whatsoever. I have a honed and practiced capacity to notice this dimension of experience, beyond a singular focus on psychological dynamics. You are made of more.
This spiritual connection and healing experiences brought me in to the healing profession of psychotherapy, which I have provided for 21 years.
Human Being Experience :)
There is something beneficial about working with someone who has a healthy amount of life experience. That I do! It's been a rich life of experience, and gets sweeter all the time.
EMDR Intensives as Adjunct Therapy
Colllaboration: EMDR as Adjunct Therapy
Often times, when a primary therapist and client collaborate with an EMDR therapist, this partnership can help move treatment forward.
I partner with primary therapists and their clients to target their clients’ specific memories, body sensations, or limiting beliefs with EMDR.
Adjunct therapy does not replace or interrupt ongoing therapy; it is supplemental to the primary therapeutic relationship.
With adjunct EMDR therapy, clients continue to receive treatment with their primary therapist. Usually adjunct therapy is short term. Treatment is often scheduled in an intensive format.
Email me if you are interested in Adjunct EMDR Intensive services, as a client or collaborating therapist. January 2022 I'll be accepting new EMDR Intensive clients.
Co-Founder of Water Street Family Counseling
After 12 years in community work as a Marriage and Family Therapist, colleague Carmen McHenry and myself founded Water Street Family Counseling together in 2012.
We discovered this beautiful house in downtown Liberty, and we knew THIS is where we would create the setting we wanted for our practice. We are thriving and serving here. We have grown to a team of five, and are grateful to serve our community from the downtown Square.
I would love to meet you from here in this cozy atmosphere- whether it's in person or by telehealth!
Email Victoria in. April 2022 waitlist and info. I am currently out on sabbitical and not returning messages.