By Jessie Wagoner jessie @ emporia . com

Helping individuals that have experienced trauma can be challenging .

Trauma can occur in a number of ways and the symptoms manifest differently for each person . At CrossWinds Counseling and Wellness , there is now a new approach for treating trauma available — Accelerated Resolution Therapy ( ART ).

Emergency Services Therapist Kristy Pauls recently completed her training in ART therapy . She is the only therapist in Kansas trained in ART , a form of psychotherapy with roots in existing , evidencebased therapies that is shown to achieve benefits much more rapidly — usually within one to five sessions .

“ Trauma can affect them to where it throws them into anxiety or depression ,” Pauls said . “ With anxiety and depression , they relive the trauma . That is miserable . They can relive it during the day with flashbacks and relive it at night in dreams . So then you have people that can ’ t sleep at night and we know when your sleep is bad your day is worse . It ends up being a vicious cycle and it is miserable

“ Trauma can affect them to where it throws them into anxiety or depression . With anxiety and depression , they relive the trauma . That is miserable . They can relive it during the day with flashbacks and relive it at night in dreams . ...”

KRISTY PAULS , Emergency Services Therapist

for those that have to live in it .”

ART was developed in 2008 by Laney Rosenzweig , a licensed marriage and family therapist . Rosenzweig was trained and proficient in multiple treatment modalities , including Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing ( EMDR ). Using her knowledge in multiple treatment techniques , she combined eye movements with other techniques to create ART .

“ The most difficult aspect of discussing ART is the fact that it sounds too good to be true ,” Roxenzweig says on her website , www . acceleratedresolutiontherapy . com .

One reason it sounds too good to be true is how quickly the ART process can work . Pauls explained veterans with post traumatic stress disorder have resolved their symptoms in just one session .

ART works directly to reprogram the way in which distressing memories and images are stored in the brain so that they no longer trigger strong physical and emotional reactions . The individual will still maintain the memory of the traumatic event , but they won ’ t have an emotional reaction to that memory .

“ The visual stuff that we see sticks in our brains ,” Pauls said .

“ What we do with ART is we take that negative scene and emotion and replace it with a positive . You don ’ t lose what happened , you lose the negative image .”

This

is accomplished through the use of rapid eye movements that are similar to eye movements that occur when dreaming . ART uses a specific and directive approach to achieve rapid recovery from symptoms and reactions that may have been present for many years . ART is officially recognized as an evidence-based treatment for psychological trauma and depression .

Now that Pauls has completed her training in ART , she is eager to begin working with individuals in the area . She is passionate about working with veterans with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder .

“ If there is any way we as a community mental health center can help veterans , I want to do that ,” Pauls said . “ Look at what they give — years of their lives — and then they come back and can ’ t get help . ART can help .”

For additional information or to schedule an appointment contact CrossWinds at 343-2211 .

THEN I LAUGHED

By Jessie Wagoner jessie @ emporia . com

This could quite possibly be my most honest column to date .

While I talk openly about the struggles and successes in our family , there are still some things I keep private . Today I ’ m breaking down those barriers and getting real — very real .

Parenting my Sylas K is my greatest blessing and it is also the most difficult thing I have ever done . His high needs leave me living daily on the edge , participating in a delicate dance that leaves me overwhelmed with anxiety and terrified of the things that are beyond my control .

Please see Anxiety , Page 3

By Mary Ann Redeker maryann @ emporia . com

If you didn ’ t have a chance to attend the David Traylor Zoo ’ s Open House last weekend , Mark Lee is extending an invitation to come out and see what all the zoo has to offer .

Not only does the zoo have animals to view , educational activities and other fun events , it also provides an opportunity to view the gorgeous plants and landscaping .

Lee , city horticulturalist , said maintaining the zoo gardens and landscaping throughout is a labor of love .

“ A lot of blood , sweat and tears goes into maintaining the zoo every day ,” Lee said . “ Watering the plants is a full-time job . It ’ s non-stop weeding , deadheading and cleaning — the grooming of the plants is a daily chore . For example , we have a few hundred varieties of daylillies throughout the entire zoo and the zoo education center . When they are flowering they take a lot maintenance . We go through every day and take off the deadheads because when they fall , they attract pests and fungus . We keep that all cleaned up in our quest to keep things beautiful .”

Lee , along with four full-time workers , one year-round , part-time worker and two to three seasonal workers , are all responsible for the upkeep of the landscaping and plants at the zoo .

“ I was lucky enough to get this job and just love it ,” he said . “ This has been my first full year in the horticulturalist position . Our former horticulturalist , Dave McCullough , was here 23 years and he put his life into this place . He knew the name of every plant here . He created the bones and the structure of the zoo and we were fortunate enough to inherit it . It ’ s a place for me and my crew to put our personal touches on it and bring our own inspiration into it .”

Keeping it fresh

VOL . 125 , NO . 1

Lee said the zoo gets many of its plants from distributors , but also recycles plants from those already at the zoo .

“ We do plant from seeds and we also do cutting from other plants ,” he said . “ A lot of these plants have been here for years and years . They are offspring from what we call the mother plant . We take a bunch of cuttings off the main plant , put them in about 10 different pots and then we have 10 more pots of the same plant . We are able to rotate things out to keep them looking fresh and beautiful .”

One plant which is very unique to the zoo is the Amorphophallus Konjac , a variety from Eastern Asia that is a bulb .

“ It blooms a huge spire bloom and then opens up ,” Lee said . “ It

Please see Zoo , Page 8

COURTESY PHOTO

Mark Lee , city horticulturalist , and his crew are responsible for the landscaping , flowers and plants at the David Traylor Zoo . Lee said a lot of blood , sweat and tears go into keeping the zoo looking so beautiful .

COURTESY PHOTO / MARK LEE

This hay rack planter at the David Traylor Zoo contains a caladium ‘ Moonlight ’ with impatiens ‘ Paradise Mix ’ and dichondra ‘ Silver Falls ’. Under that on the fence is a Staghorn Fern . On the ground there are two elephant ears and some hostas , with the purple plant being strobilanthes ‘ Persian shields ’.

COURTESY PHOTO / MARK LEE

This arrangement shows a portadora in the middle , with tradescantia ‘ Purple Heat ’, salvia ‘ Victoria Blue ’ and sweet potato . On either side are two perilla ‘ Magilla ’. The two pots in front are marigolds and straw flower . The very front plant is dwarf umbrella sedge with oxallis and golden money wort .