Healing Anxiety and Trauma After the Annunciation Mass Shooting: How EMDR Therapy Can Help
Mass shootings shake the very core of a community. The tragic event at Annunciation has left families, students, parents, school staff, first responders, and neighbors struggling to make sense of the unimaginable. In the wake of such violence, it’s natural to feel heightened emotions: anxiety, fear, sadness, or even numbness. But for many, these feelings go beyond anxiety and point toward a trauma response that requires specialized care.
At Sage Leaf Wellness in St. Paul, MN, our team of EMDR-trained therapists is here to support individuals and groups processing the aftermath of this tragedy. Through individual therapy using the EMDR Recent Events Protocol and group healing through the Group Traumatic Episode Protocol (G-TEP), we offer safe, evidence-based pathways for recovery.
Understanding Anxiety vs. a Trauma Response
While anxiety and trauma responses can look similar, they are not the same. Recognizing the difference is important in choosing the right kind of help.
Anxiety often comes with symptoms like restlessness, racing thoughts, trouble concentrating, muscle tension, and worry about the future. It’s distressing but usually not tied to a single overwhelming event.
A trauma response, on the other hand, is the nervous system’s reaction to an overwhelming or life-threatening experience. Symptoms may include flashbacks, intrusive memories, nightmares, hypervigilance (constantly scanning for danger), emotional numbing, or feeling detached from reality.
After a mass shooting, both anxiety and trauma responses are common — even for those who were not physically present. Parents, siblings, teachers, first responders, and community members can all experience vicarious trauma simply by being closely connected to the event.
The Role of EMDR in Healing After Tragedy
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) is a highly researched therapy for trauma recovery. By using bilateral stimulation (eye movements, tapping, or tones), EMDR helps the brain reprocess distressing memories so they no longer trigger the same overwhelming emotional and physical responses.
For recent or ongoing traumatic events, EMDR offers specialized protocols designed to help individuals and groups metabolize trauma before it becomes deeply embedded.
EMDR Recent Events Protocol
The Recent Events Protocol is designed specifically for people processing trauma shortly after it happens. Unlike standard EMDR, which often addresses past events, this protocol focuses on what just occurred — such as the Annunciation shooting.
It helps:
Reduce distress connected to recent memories and images.
Prevent trauma from “locking in” as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
Support emotional regulation and stabilization in the days and weeks following a crisis.
This protocol is especially beneficial for students, parents, teachers, school administrators, first responders, and therapists directly impacted by the shooting.
Group Traumatic Episode Protocol (G-TEP)
Healing doesn’t have to happen alone. For communities impacted by collective tragedy, the Group Traumatic Episode Protocol (G-TEP) is an innovative EMDR-based group treatment model that allows multiple people to process trauma together — without having to share their personal stories aloud.
Why G-TEP Works in Times of Collective Trauma
No cross-contamination: Participants do not share their most distressing memories with the group, reducing the chance of triggering others.
Maintains privacy and safety: Each participant works on their own trauma internally, guided by structured EMDR protocols.
Community support: Even without sharing details, being together with others who experienced the same tragedy creates a sense of connection and reduces isolation.
Efficient and effective: A group can process trauma simultaneously, making this model accessible for schools, departments, and communities.
G-TEP offers a balance of individual healing within a community setting — exactly what many people need after an event that affects everyone.
Who Can Benefit From EMDR and G-TEP After Annunciation
Trauma affects more than just direct witnesses. In the wake of a mass shooting, many people may be carrying unprocessed emotional burdens, including:
Students who lived through the event or lost classmates
Parents struggling with fear, grief, or survivor’s guilt
Teachers and administrators balancing their own trauma with supporting their students
First responders who witnessed the aftermath
Community members grieving and supporting loved ones
Therapists and helping professionals experiencing vicarious trauma from holding so much pain
It is important to remember: being affected by trauma does not require being present at the scene. Simply being connected to the event or repeatedly exposed to it through stories and images can create secondary trauma.
Why Healing Matters for Everyone Involved
When trauma goes unprocessed, it doesn’t simply fade away. It can manifest as:
Persistent anxiety or depression
Difficulty concentrating
Relationship struggles
Chronic physical symptoms (headaches, sleep disruption, stomach issues)
Risk of developing PTSD
Healing is not just about reducing symptoms — it’s about restoring safety, resilience, and connection. For communities recovering from collective violence, this is essential.
How Sage Leaf Wellness Can Help
At Sage Leaf Wellness in St. Paul, MN, we are deeply committed to supporting our community through the aftermath of tragedy. Our team of therapists are trained in EMDR therapy, the Recent Events Protocol, and G-TEP, making us uniquely equipped to offer both individual and group options for recovery.
Individual EMDR therapy: One-on-one sessions tailored to your unique experience, focusing on recent events or deeper trauma if needed.
Group Traumatic Episode Protocol (G-TEP): A safe, structured group model for those who have endured a shared traumatic event, such as the Annunciation shooting.
Compassionate, trauma-informed care: We meet each client where they are, honoring their pace and needs.
You can learn more about our services at www.sageleafwellness.com.
Finding Strength in Community
In times of tragedy, healing must happen both individually and collectively. While EMDR helps reduce the grip of trauma on the brain and body, G-TEP reminds us of something equally important: we do not have to heal alone.
By coming together in structured, supportive spaces, we can reduce isolation, metabolize the pain of trauma, and rebuild resilience as a community.
A Call to Action
If you are a parent, student, teacher, first responder, community member, or therapist affected by the Annunciation mass shooting, know that you do not have to carry this alone.
The days and weeks following trauma are critical — and EMDR’s Recent Events Protocol and G-TEP were designed specifically for these moments.
Reach out to Sage Leaf Wellness in St. Paul today to learn how we can support you, your family, or your group through trauma recovery. Together, we can honor the pain, metabolize the experience, and begin to move forward — with strength, compassion, and hope.