Go beyond talking
Comprehensive Resource Model (CRM) in Pensacola: Advanced Healing for Complex Trauma
Dr. Maria Niitepold, PsyD – EMDRIA-Trained Trauma & Somatic Therapist In-person at 3000 Gulf Breeze Parkway · Online across 40+ PsyPact states (850) 696-7218 – call or text anytime
Have you ever felt like your trauma is "too big" to talk about?
Perhaps you’ve tried traditional talk therapy—or even standard EMDR—and felt so overwhelmed by the intensity of your emotions that you had to stop. Or maybe you feel "numb" and disconnected, like you’re watching your life happen from behind a thick pane of glass.
When the nervous system is stuck in a state of chronic survival, simply "talking" isn't enough. In fact, for many survivors of complex trauma, focusing on the memory can lead to re-traumatization.
At Hayfield Healing, we offer the Comprehensive Resource Model (CRM). CRM is a revolutionary, neurobiologically-based trauma treatment designed to provide your brain with the "scaffolding" it needs to process the heaviest memories without being overwhelmed. It allows you to stay fully present and grounded, even when touching the most painful parts of your past.
Why "Standard" Therapy Often Feels Like Not Enough
Traditional therapy is a "Top-Down" approach. It focuses on the Prefrontal Cortex—the part of the brain responsible for logic, language, and reasoning. But trauma doesn't live in the logic center. Trauma lives in the Midbrain and the Limbic System, the parts of the brain responsible for survival (Fight, Flight, Freeze).
When you are triggered, your logical brain goes offline. You can know intellectually that you are safe in our Gulf Breeze office, but your body doesn't believe it.
This is why you might feel:
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Flooded: Overwhelmed by panic, crying, or racing thoughts.
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Shut Down: Feeling numb, "blank," or totally disconnected from your body (dissociation).
CRM is a "Bottom-Up" approach. We start with the body and the midbrain. We don't ask you to "talk through" the pain until we have built a neurological foundation of safety that is strong enough to hold it.
The Neurobiology of the "Stuck" Brain: Why We Need CRM
To understand why CRM is so effective, we have to look at the Superior Colliculus and the Periaqueductal Gray (PAG)—parts of the midbrain that handle our most primal survival responses.
When a traumatic event occurs, these areas of the brain "record" the threat. If the trauma is never fully processed, the midbrain stays in a state of "High Alert." It continues to signal the rest of the body that danger is present, leading to chronic anxiety, digestive issues, and sleep disturbances.
Most therapies try to calm the midbrain using the "thinking brain" (the Cortex). CRM does the opposite. By using somatic (body) resources like specific breathing and fixed eye positions, we send a signal directly to the midbrain.
We are essentially telling the deepest, most primitive part of your brain: "You are safe. You can let go of the guard now." This allows for a level of healing that "just talking" simply cannot reach.
What Makes CRM Different?
While many trauma survivors are familiar with EMDR, CRM offers a distinct and often "gentler" path for complex cases.
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EMDR (Bilateral Movement): Uses back-and-forth eye movements, taps, or tones to process and desensitize "stuck" memories. It is a powerful tool for moving through trauma quickly.
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CRM (Fixed Positioning & Resourcing): Uses specific, fixed eye positions to anchor the brain into a state of safety. While EMDR is a processing model, CRM is a resourcing model. We "nest" layers of safety so that the brain can process trauma without the person "leaving their body" or becoming overwhelmed.
Many of my clients in the Pensacola area find that a combination of both is the most effective. We might use CRM to build the "brakes" and the safety scaffolding, and then use EMDR once the nervous system feels strong enough to move through the memory.
The "Nesting" Process:
How We Build Your Scaffolding
Attunement & Presence
We begin with mindful attunement between us—creating a felt sense of co-regulation and safety in the therapeutic relationship. This interpersonal resource signals to your midbrain that you are not alone, laying the foundation for all deeper work.
Somatic Breathwork
We use targeted breathing patterns (such as "Fire Breath" for activation or "Earth Breath" for grounding) to physiologically shift your nervous system out of survival mode. This isn't simple relaxation—it's a direct intervention that overrides brainstem threat responses.
Internal Grids & Containment
We build a felt sense of internal structure and boundaries within your body. For those who experience fragmentation or feel "empty" inside, this grid provides solidity, containment, and a safe internal "home" to return to during processing.
Fixed Eye Positions (The Anchor)
Where you look profoundly affects how you feel. We identify specific gaze positions in your visual field that connect you most strongly to calm, strength, or clarity. Holding this fixed "brainspot" creates a powerful midbrain anchor, preventing overwhelm or dissociation as we move deeper.
Internal Attachment Resources
Especially helpful for developmental or relational trauma, we cultivate internalized figures of nurturing, protection, or wisdom. These resources provide the experience of being "held" and cared for—reparenting the parts of you that may have missed secure attachment in childhood.
Core Self or Spiritual Connection
At the deepest layer, we connect you to your innate "Core Self"—that unchanging essence beneath the trauma—or to personal spiritual/transpersonal resources (higher power, truth, light, etc.). This layer accesses profound resilience and wholeness, allowing even the most primal threat responses to release.
Working with "Parts": Ego State Integration in CRM
The Hayfield Healing Approach
Trauma often causes us to "split" into different parts as a way to survive. You might have a "manager" part that keeps you productive at work in Pensacola, but a "child" part that comes out in your relationships.
CRM is highly effective at Ego State Work. Instead of fighting these different parts of yourself, we use the CRM resources to help them feel safe. When your "Inner Critic" or your "Numb Part" feels resourced and anchored, it no longer needs to work so hard to protect you. We move from internal conflict to internal harmony.
Is CRM Right for You?
CRM is specifically designed for individuals who struggle with:
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C-PTSD (Complex Trauma): Long-term exposure to stress, abuse, or neglect.
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Dissociation: Feeling "spaced out," numb, or like you aren't really in your body.
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Severe Panic: Feeling like your anxiety is "too intense" for standard therapy.
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Treatment-Resistant Anxiety: When you’ve "tried everything" (CBT, medication, etc.) and your body still won't calm down.
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Moral Injury: Common in our Pensacola veteran, military trauma, and first-responder community, where one’s core values have been challenged by traumatic events.
Our Clinical Expertise in Gulf Breeze & Pensacola
Choosing a trauma specialist is a deeply personal decision. You need someone who understands the complex "wiring" of the human brain.
Dr. Maria Niitepold, PsyD, is a trauma-specialist trained in the Comprehensive Resource Model. My background in clinical psychology (PsyD) combined with training in both EMDR (via Scaling Up), Brainspotting, and CRM allows me to tailor the treatment to your specific nervous system.
We don't use a "one-size-fits-all" approach. Whether we are meeting in-person at my Gulf Breeze Parkway office or working together online via PsyPact, our goal is to provide a container that is strong enough to hold your deepest pain while facilitating your most profound growth.
Frequently Asked Questions About Brainspotting Therapy
"How is this different from just 'relaxing'?"
Relaxation is passive; CRM is an active neurological intervention. We are intentionally stimulating specific parts of the brain to change how it processes information. It is "exercise" for your nervous system's ability to feel safe.
"Do I have to talk about my trauma in detail?"
No. One of the greatest benefits of CRM is that the healing happens on a somatic (body) level. We can process the "stuck" energy of a memory even if you don't want to describe the event in detail. This makes it an excellent choice for those with "unspeakable" trauma.
"How long does a typical session last?"
Standard sessions are 50 minutes, but for deep CRM work, some clients prefer 90-minute "intensives" to allow for more time in the resourced state. We can discuss which format is best for your goals.
"Can I do CRM if I'm already seeing another therapist?"
Yes. CRM can be used as an "adjunctive therapy." I often work with clients who have a regular talk therapist but come to me specifically for the deep, somatic trauma processing that CRM provides.
CRM Trauma Therapist Near Me?
Contact Me
Email: maria@hayfieldhealing.org
Phone: 850-696-7218
Address: 3000 Gulf Breeze Pkwy
Gulf Breeze, FL 32563
Hours: Monday - Friday 6 PM - 8 PM
Sunday 9 AM - 7 PM
Trauma tells you that you are alone and that you are in danger. CRM tells a different story. It shows you that you have an infinite capacity for healing and that you can find a "home" within yourself.
If you are a resident of Pensacola, Gulf Breeze, or anywhere in the 40+ PsyPact States, and you are ready to move beyond "managing" your trauma to truly resolving it, I invite you to reach out.
Request a free 15-minute consult for CRM Trauma Therapy in Pensacola. We'll talk about what's been hard, what you're hoping for, and whether CRM, Brainspotting, or another therapy like EMDR might be the right fit for you.
Healing doesn’t have to be hard.
It just has to start.
— Dr. Maria Niitepold, PsyD
Trauma & Somatic Therapist
Gulf Breeze · Pensacola · PsyPact nationwide