What can EMDR help with?
PTSD & Complex Trauma
Sexual, emotional, physical abuse, flashbacks, nightmares, intrusive memories.
Grief, Anxiety, Stress, Sadness
Complicated grief, sadness, shame, panic attacks, phobias, anxieties, low self esteem, creative and professional blocks.
Relational Concerns and Trauma
Attachment issues, childhood trauma, issues in adult relationships.
Overview of EMDR therapy
After determining that EMDR is a good fit, the beginning sessions will involve discussing what the client wants to work on and the ability to manage distress.
When ready for the next phases of EMDR therapy, the client will be asked to focus on a specific event that will be the target for reprocessing.
While the client focuses on the upsetting event, the therapist will begin sets of side-to-side eye movements, sounds, or taps. The client will be guided to notice what comes to mind after each set. They may experience shifts in insight or changes in images, feelings, or beliefs regarding the event.
The client has full control to stop the therapist at any point if needed. The sets of eye movements, sounds, or taps are repeated until the event becomes less disturbing.
EMDR therapy may be used within a standard talking therapy, as an adjunctive therapy with a separate therapist, or as a treatment all by itself.
Frequently Asked Questions
How is EMDR different from other therapies?
EMDR therapy does not require talking in detail about the distressing issue or completing homework between sessions. EMDR allows the brain to resume its natural healing process without talking about feelings, memories and events.
How long are the sessions and how often do I need to come?
EMDR is typically delivered once to twice per week for a total of 6-12 sessions, although some people benefit from more or fewer sessions. Sessions can be conducted on consecutive days. Sessions range from 60 to 90 minutes.
Why EMDR?
People choose EMDR when traditional talk therapy hasn’t been effective in overcoming symptoms to a desired degree or when looking for a more direct, time limited approach to mental health care. EMDR can also be utilized in conjunction with traditional talk therapy.
Is EMDR really effective?
Due to its success, this therapy is recognized by many organizations, including the American Psychiatric Association, World Health Organization, and the International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies. Research has shown that this therapy can be an efficient and rapid treatment.