EMDR
50 minutes | $160
What we go through in life can impact us more than we realize. Experiences that are distressing or traumatic are stored in our minds, and sometimes not adaptively. This can result in feeling anxious, depressed, having trouble connecting with others, or struggling to figure out exactly what’s going on within ourselves. EMDR aims to reprocess these memories using bilateral stimulation (most often eye movements) to recategorize these memories in an adaptive way. This reduces their impact on your mental health and supports personal growth and improved connections with yourself and others so that you can live the way you want to - authentically you.
What is EMDR?
EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) is an extensively researched and effective method for processing trauma and PTSD. It has also been shown to be effective for many disorders, including anxiety, depression, OCD, chronic pain, addictions, self-esteem, self-talk, grief, phobias, eating disorders, and other hard life experiences. EMDR relies on the brain’s natural healing abilities to store traumatic or challenging memories in a different way so that they feel lighter and have less of an impact on you overall. This means that you will not have to talk about the issue in detail, and you will not be asked to “relive” the event. EMDR focuses on changing thoughts, feelings, and actions resulting from the issue or event.
It has highly structured protocols with eight phases, so it’s very different from traditional talk therapy. In the first phases, you will learn coping skills and tools to help you regulate through this process. Then, we will collaboratively identify “targets”, which are distressing memories, physical or mental experiences, or symptoms that are impacting you currently. In the desensitization and reprocessing phases, you will focus on a target while engaging in bilateral stimulation (watching a light go side to side, tapping on your arms, chest, or legs, or listening to a tone in alternating ears). Your level of disturbance and the validity of positive and negative cognitions associated with the target tells us where we are and how much progress is made.
Your wellbeing is very important during this process, so we will check in with your body to see how you are holding new or different information, sensations, and emotions.
EMDR therapy can be a tough and draining process, but it is worth the work. Sometimes clients have intrusive or racing memories or thoughts, nightmares, or tiredness between sessions. Growth can be challenging, but if you’re ready and willing to work through the hard stuff, EMDR might be a good fit for you. Let’s connect to see if EMDR might be an option for you!