EMDR

Don’t think about it.

Push it down. Ignore it. Hide it. It’s too painful to deal with.

But it keeps coming up. That thing that happened in the past. The painful memories. The abuse. The trauma.

How do you get past it when you can’t even peek at it without feeling like you’ll completely fall apart?

Together, that’s how.

Using a combination of EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) and Somatic Experiencing techniques, I will help you develop the strength and skills needed to heal from your trauma.

Initially, I’ll help you understand trauma and how it impacts our mind and body.

Then, I’ll guide you in developing a set of positive resources to strengthen your ability to tolerate the painful emotions and memories associated with your past.

Once we both determine that you’re ready, we will use EMDR to help you to work through your painful memories.

Your future after healing

After successful completion of the phases of EMDR, your memories will no longer haunt you or have a negative impact on your present life. Rather, you’ll be able to look back and have a new perspective on what you went through.

We’ll then look forward and help you to create the future you desire.

You don’t have to keep feeling the way you’re feeling. EMDR and Somatic Experiencing are thoroughly researched and have been shown to be effective at helping people just like you heal from past trauma.

FAQ About EMDR

What is EMDR?

EMDR stands for Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing. It is a type of psychotherapy that was developed by Dr. Francine Shapiro to help people heal from trauma and upsetting life experiences, such as bullying, abuse, neglect, abandonment, grief/loss, PTSD, and many other complicated life issues.

EMDR is based on the Adaptive Information Processing (AIP) model, which proposes that each of us has an inherent information processing system, which gets blocked when a traumatic event occurs. This results in the memory being frozen in the brain, with the original image, physical sensations, thoughts, and emotions, as when the event occurred.

Therefore, we can become so upset any time we are reminded of the trauma. EMDR uses bilateral movements (either eye movements, tapping, or sounds) to help the brain reprocess the traumatic memory, which then alleviates the emotional and psychological symptoms.

What can be treated with EMDR?

EMDR was originally used to treat trauma. However, we are now finding that it is effective in treating a lot more than just trauma. EMDR can be used to treat anxiety, depression, eating disorders, addiction, compulsive behaviors, and OCD.

Can EMDR be done with kids and teens?

Yes! EMDR can be adapted to any age group. With younger children, I often incorporate play and art into the model, as this helps them stay engaged and allows them further means to express themselves.