EMDR

Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing

Weekly or Intensive Treatment Options Are Available

Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) therapy is an evidence-based, integrative psychotherapy approach that is proven effective for the treatment of trauma, grief and loss, anxiety, and depression. A thorough definition and explanation of EMDR is provided here. In laymen’s terms, EMDR is based on the idea that when a traumatic or disturbing life experience occurs, it is processed in a maladaptive way and not integrated in a way where the person can experience effective healing/recovery. Memories related to those experiences hold a significant emotional charge that don’t resolve over time.

To address this, a trained EMDR clinician uses an 8-phase model to target memories and treat them so they may be integrated in a healthy way. Treatment involves developing internal resources to prepare for memory processing and beyond, targeting key memories that are linked to pervading negative beliefs, using bilateral stimulation to process memories and decrease the charge they hold, integrating positive cognitions that support healthy memory integration, and developing somatic awareness.

FAQs

  • EMDR can be useful for: building internal strength, trauma healing (acute, complex, betrayal), grief and loss, anxiety (social, performance, anticipatory), substance abuse, dysfunctional relationship patterns, abandonment fears, or coping patterns that are no longer working.

  • Yes! EMDR can be a stand alone treatment and can supplement talk therapy.

  • EMDR training is intensive and thorough and should not be administered unless the clinican has been trained through an EMDRIA approved curriculum.

  • The duration of treatment depends on what the person is coming to therapy to work on and what that will involve. When we begin and throughout our work together we can discuss how treatment is going.

    The frequency of treatment depends on how you choose to work. I offer 75 minute sessions as well as Intensives which offer a more concentrated treatment and can therefore reach completion before weekly sessions might.

EMDR Resources