EMDR

Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing Therapy

EMDR therapy is an evidence based approach that integrates multiple types of psychotherapy into a single approach. We work collaboratively to understand your negative beliefs while reducing the intense emotions and problematic symptoms. I will help you learn to manage the uncomfortable thoughts, feelings and beliefs that surface day to day. Together we will challenge and rebuild a more positive and balanced self-concept not just in your mind, but in your body as well.

Think of your life like a linen closet. That distressing life event, overwhelming symptoms or negative core belief that plays in the background of your daily life, is the fitted sheet. No matter how you try to fold it up, it spills out into the rest of the closet and disrupts the organization of your life. When we’re done with EMDR, that fitted sheet becomes well-folded and is no longer the story running your life. The memory and experience will always be with you, but it doesn’t have to keep taking up so much room in your mind and in your life.

The beauty of EMDR therapy is it does not require talking in detail about the distressing issue or completing homework between sessions. Rather than focusing on changing the emotions, thoughts, or behaviors resulting from the distressing issue, EMDR therapy allows the brain to resume its natural healing process.

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Learn more about EMDR therapy

Video credit: EMDR Association UK

This process is unique to each person. Together, we look at common themes or what issues are causing you pain or harm. With this information, we develop a treatment plan of specific concerns to target.
Involves the development of various emotional regulation tools and stress management techniques that can be used in and between session.
We determine the targeted goal for the processing. When a target has been chosen, you will decide on the visual imagery that you feel best represents the memory or concern. From there, we discuss the things that come along with the memory & imagery with either a negative cognition (“I am not good enough” or a positive cognition (“I am worthwhile”). You will then rate how true these cognitions feel on a scale of 1-7, how disturbing the target is from 0-10, and finish with describing what your body has been feeling/experiencing throughout this phase.
This is the phase that EMDR therapy is most known for. You will begin eye movements, tones or taps while thinking about the distressing, targeted event until the distress is reduced to zero. EMDR theory postulates the dual attention that comes from thinking about the event while focusing on the distracting stimulus of tones or eye movements distracts the brain enough to allow the natural process of healing and memory integration to occur.
This phase is called the “installation” phase because it works on “installing” the positive beliefs where the negative cognitions currently are. We work to install this belief to most true it can be using a 7 point scale.
Since trauma can remain in the body, we ensure the your body is free of any remaining tension, distress or discomfort. If anything still remains or feels ‘off” in regards to the target, we work to desensitize the remaining sensations until all distress is removed.
Ends every EMDR therapy to assist you in returning to a state of balance. We achieve this through various emotional regulation strategies and journaling tools.
Opens every EMDR therapy session. We review what was discussed in the previous session to ensure treatment effects are lasting.