Move past your past. EMDR Therapy in Texas, Ohio & Colorado.
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR)
“The past affects the present even without our being aware of it.” - Francine Shapiro
Maybe you’re tired of feeling tired. You’ve tried it all, even therapy, and nothing has worked.
Do you feel stuck? Have you tried everything and still can’t seem to shake those feelings of dread? Do you find yourself trying to pretend that thing never happened?
Maybe you’re overwhelmed with sadness when you think about the past, or you find yourself constantly waiting for the other shoe to drop. If you’re ready to take control of your life and experience freedom from your negative thoughts, EMDR might be right for you.
If your memories from the past or your fears about the future are starting to get in the way of you living right now, it’s time for a change.
You’ve tried it all, and you still feel like you can’t move on. Nothing has worked. You know all the coping skills, you’ve tried journaling and meditating, and you’ve even opened up with a therapist about what happened. But you’re still stuck.
Or maybe you feel so stuck that even the idea of having to think about what happened is too overwhelming, let alone talk about it. So you just keep everything bottled up inside.
EMDR is different. It’s a powerful evidence-based therapy that everyone from Prince Harry to Sandra Bullock is talking about. EMDR is extensively researched and has been proven to be highly effective for treating trauma, PTSD, and other mental health symptoms. In fact, it is considered to be one of the most effective treatments for trauma. This type of therapy uses bilateral stimulation (usually eye movements or tapping) to reduce the disturbance caused by traumatic or distressing memories.
In EMDR, you don’t have to talk in detail about your most painful memories. EMDR provides the right conditions to allow your brain to do what your brain does best: heal. This process won’t take away your memories, but instead of feeling like the memory is a jagged, insurmountable mountain peak, it might feel like it’s a small, smooth hill.
EMDR can help with:
Trauma
PTSD
Distressing memories
Intrusive thoughts
Depression
Grief
Anxiety/Panic
Self confidence
Chronic pain
Phobias
WHAT WE’LL DO TOGETHER
I’m here to help you find freedom from your past, and connection with your present.
Settling In
Before we start EMDR, we’ll take some time to get to know each other. My first priority is making sure you feel comfortable. I’ll ask you some questions about what’s bringing you in, and together we’ll start to work on treatment goals.
Getting Started
After we’ve established what you want to work on, we’ll ease in to EMDR. I’ll make sure you feel equipped and ready to handle any strong emotions that might come up, and there will always be room for any questions you might have throughout the process.
Moving Forward
After we’ve completed all 8 phases of EMDR, we’ll check back in and see if anything new might have come up along the way that you’d like to spend some more time on. If not, we’ll celebrate your newfound relief and talk about how we can continue to support your goals for the future.
Common questions about EMDR:
-
If you’ve tried other forms of therapy and haven’t had the success you’ve hoped for, EMDR might be right for you.
EMDR might also be right for you if you feel “stuck” and unable to move past certain memories, experiences, or triggers, regardless of your history with therapy.
If you’re wondering if you might be a good candidate but still have some questions, schedule a consultation so we can chat more specifically about your unique situation.
-
History taking and information gathering
Resourcing. AKA learning skills to help manage emotions effectively
Preparation and planning for reprocessing
Reprocessing. This is where we’ll use BLS (bilateral stimulation) like eye movements, tapping, or audio
Installation. This is where we’ll start to learn and incorporate new, adaptive beliefs about ourself and the world
Body scan
Closure
Reevaluation. This happens at the beginning of each session after reprocessing, to check in on the work we did last time
-
While there is no exact number, for many people EMDR therapy can and does work much quicker than traditional talk therapy and can require less sessions in order to experience relief.
-
A typical session with me is around 50 minutes, but we can also schedule a longer EMDR session for around 90 minutes if we decide that it may be beneficial to extend our session time in order to accomplish your goals.
We will always talk about this ahead of time, and you will always be able to decide what feels best for you.
-
EMDRIA is a wonderful resource for learning more about EMDR. Click this link: About EMDR Therapy or watch the video below.