Support Available After Recent Tragedy
A Note to Our Community
By now, many of you have heard about the shooting that took place at Seattle Center this past weekend during the Bite of Seattle festival. What should have been a joyful summer gathering turned into a scene of violence and loss, and our hearts go out to everyone affected - those who were injured, the families grieving loved ones, the first responders who ran toward danger, and everyone in our community who witnessed it, heard about it, or simply feels less safe in a place they once loved.
Events like this ripple outward. You don't have to have been at Seattle Center to feel the impact. Grief, anxiety, anger, numbness, trouble sleeping, a heightened startle response, or a sense that the world feels less predictable than it did a few days ago - all of these are normal reactions to an abnormal event. If you're noticing any of this in yourself, your children, or people you care about, please know it makes sense, and support is available.
How EMDR Can Help After a Traumatic Event
You probably already know this - Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) therapy was originally developed to help people process trauma, and it remains one of the most well-researched approaches for doing so. When something distressing happens, the brain doesn't always process the experience the way it processes ordinary memories. Instead, the memory can get "stuck," carrying with it the same emotional and physical intensity as the moment it happened - which is why a sound, a smell, or even a news alert can bring the fear rushing back weeks or months later.
EMDR uses bilateral stimulation (typically guided eye movements, but sometimes taps or tones) alongside structured recall of the distressing event to help the brain finish processing what happened. Over time, the memory becomes less charged - it stays a memory of something that happened, rather than something that feels like it's still happening.
The R-TEP Protocol:Support in the Immediate Aftermath
One of the tools we may draw on in the wake of an event like this weekend's shooting is the Recent Traumatic Episode Protocol (R-TEP), developed specifically for situations where the trauma is still recent and ongoing adjustment is happening in real time - as opposed to standard EMDR protocols, which are often used for trauma processed further after the fact.
A few things that make R-TEP well suited to moments like this one:
It's designed for recent events. Rather than waiting months for a memory to fully consolidate, R-TEP can be used within days or weeks of a traumatic experience, when distress is often most acute.
It works with fragmented memories. Immediately after a traumatic event, memories can feel scattered or overwhelming rather than forming one clear narrative. R-TEP uses a structured approach to gently organize and process these pieces without requiring the person to relive the whole event at once.
It emphasizes stabilization first. Before any reprocessing happens, R-TEP prioritizes helping clients feel grounded and safe, which is especially important when someone is still in the acute aftermath of a frightening event.
It can prevent a recent trauma from becoming a lasting one. Early intervention with R-TEP is associated with reducing the likelihood that acute stress reactions solidify into more entrenched PTSD symptoms down the road.
Pro Bono Group Sessions Coming Soon
In response to this weekend's events, we have organized a pro bono structured group EMDR session for members of our community who were affected. Group protocols can be a powerful and accessible way to begin processing a shared traumatic event alongside others who understand what it was like.
We'll be holding a session this Saturday, August 1st at 10am. Sign up here.
For updates on future sessions, sign up for notifications here.
If You Need Support
If this weekend's events have brought up difficult feelings, please don't hesitate to reach out to your therapist or contact our office to schedule a session. You don't need to have been at Seattle Center, and you don't need to be experiencing severe symptoms, to benefit from talking to someone. We're here for you and any friends or loved ones that may need support right now.
We also want to share a list of other mental health resources for community members who were impacted by the shooting and its aftermath.
988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline - Call or text 988 | 988lifeline.org
National 24/7 support for anyone in emotional distress or crisis.
NAMI HelpLine - Call 1-800-950-6264 or text "HelpLine" to 62640 | nami.org/nami-helpline
Peer support and information for mental health concerns, M–F, 6AM–7PM PT.
Sandy Hook Promise & Everytown for Gun Safety - sandyhookpromise.org | everytown.org
Gun violence prevention organizations offering survivor support resources and community healing guidance.
Trauma Survivors Network - traumasurvivorsnetwork.org
Peer support network for trauma survivors, run through the American Trauma Society.
City of Seattle Victim Support Team - Call (206) 684-7721 or email VictimSupportTeam@seattle.gov
Local (Seattle) counseling and support services specifically for people impacted by violent incidents.
Crisis Connections - Call/text 988 or visit crisisconnections.org
24-hour crisis line serving the greater Seattle/King County area.