Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing

First, we will discuss your goals and reasons for seeking therapy. Then, we will explore the significant events that may be contributing to your distress. After identifying events you feel comfortable focusing on, we will use a combination of coping strategies, self-soothing techniques, and bilateral eye movements (or tapping) while talking and thinking about the traumatic events. Sessions are focused on whatever you want to focus on, whether that be education, coping skill building, processing, or resources to help strengthen resiliency.

Yes! EMDR is an evidence-based therapy for treating trauma-based disorders. Developed by Francine Shapiro in 1987, this therapy is recognized an effective treatment for those suffering from post-traumatic stress symptoms. In 2011, the SAMHSA (The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration) National Registry of Evidence-based Programs and Practices-National registry (NREPP) listed EMDR as an evidence-based treatment for PTSD.

Imagine getting a cut on your hand. As long as that cut is not too big and does not become infected, it typically will heal on its own. That is what happens when we experience a difficult or distressing event most of the time. Sometimes, that event is so traumatic that it is comparable to a much bigger wound or a cut that becomes infected. That’s when we need help and medical treatment for it to heal.

EMDR allows us to explore that wound, the event that caused it, and the circumstances that are making it harder to heal, all while prioritizing your current sense of safety and security. The therapeutic techniques are designed to target the traumatic event long enough to allow new connections, beliefs, and responses to form. The goal is for the natural healing process to resume so that “thing that happened” no longer feels like it is running your life.

Unlike many trauma-focused therapies, we do not have to talk in-depth about the traumatic event itself in order for healing to happen. In exposure-based therapies, clients are exposed to the emotions or mental images of that trauma through repeated retelling of the trauma narrative. In Cognitive Processing Therapy, clients need to write out or tell the event through the lens of how they felt at the time and the beliefs they had, session after session. In Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, clients use talk-therapy to identify and dismantle unhelpful thoughts that are keeping them stuck.

All of these therapies are evidence-based, but every person is different and has unique needs. Many people who have tried these other therapies have found that EMDR helped them process things they couldn’t before.

You can learn more about EMDR therapy by reading the book “Getting Past Your Past: Take Control of Your Life with Self-Help Techniques from EMDR Therapy”, by Francine Shapiro. You can also learn more by visiting www.EMDRIA.org.

EMDR is safe and effective over telehealth and virtual platforms. It is important that, during the session, you are in a safe and private space where you can feel comfortable.

While I do find EMDR to be the most effective therapy for many individuals, it is not the only therapy I offer. I also provide Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, and Brief Solution Focused Therapy.