EMDR Trauma Therapy
When you feel like you have tried everything and still feel like you freeze, become enraged, people please and overall feel bewildered by what is going on with your reactions, Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing (EMDR) can help.
You can have big reactions to things that are confusing to even yourself due to traumatic or less than nurturing memories being stored in your brain in a way that does not serve you well. A thought or belief that degrades you, tells you lies about the world or yourself is a thought or belief that does not serve you well. EMDR allows you to reprocess these memories, so you can store them in a way that is more congruent with your current goals and values.
Signs That EMDR Could Be Helpful For You
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You feel like there are situations in your life where you get stuck by engaging in fight/flight/freeze/fawn states
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You experience moments where you are suddenly brought back to memories/concerns/thinking/physical reactions that are related to past traumatic events
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Feelings of being disconnected from your body and/or emotions
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If you’re feeling curious about what your life could look like if you healed from your trauma
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If you have tried all types of therapy and still feel as though you can’t help, but feel activated by thoughts of your trauma
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You feel confused about how you reached certain conclusions, behaviors or reactions
How EMDR Works
When engaging in EMDR, you will be revisiting memories and thoughts while paying attention to bilateral stimulation. In EMDR bilateral stimulation can be back and forth tapping, following something with your eyes that is moving back and forth, listening to a tone in one ear and then the next or anything similar. Revisiting past hurts while following the bilateral stimulation allows you to process through the hurts, so that you no longer become triggered by the original pain. It also allows you to begin to associate healthier and more helpful thinking when revisiting those memories.
If you’re cringing at the thought of revisiting these memories, I understand. Thankfully, you do not start EMDR by immediately jumping into reprocessing. The reprocessing mentioned does not begin until phase 4 of the 8 phases. In the beginning phases (phases 1&2), I will be gathering information about your strengths and struggles and helping you build skills that will help you regulate when you become overwhelmed. Your EMDR phases can go as slowly as you need and you can stop at any time. You also do not need to share every detail of your experiences with me, the most important thing is that you recall the memories in your mind while engaging in the bilateral stimulation.
For more information about EMDR and its 8 Phases click here.
How I Use EMDR
I am trained in the Somatic and Attachment Focused EMDR (S.A.F.E) model of EMDR through the Personal Transformation Institute. The S.A.F.E. model integrates somatic (what is happening in the body) awareness and attachment (how you have learned to give and receive love) throughout the EMDR phases. This is done by gathering information about how the behaviors that we are targeting are impacting your relationships and what needs are beneath those behaviors. You will also be asked to check in with what you are feeling in your body throughout the process. You will also be given tools and techniques to process what you are experiencing in your body. This part of the process goes beyond how talk therapy techniques generally approach therapy.
More Specialities!
For even more specialities check out the specialities page!
