EMDR Therapy Services

EMDR Therapy Services

Our brains have a normal way of processing life events – even traumatic ones. However, sometimes, a traumatic experience can be so overwhelming that the stress the event causes completely overwhelms the brain. The invasive burst of neurological and biological information can interrupt, disrupt, and even stop your brain’s ability to process the inflow of information.

When the brain’s processing system is unable to process an event, the experience of the event remains ‘unresolved.’ The physiological information from the event can get stuck in the nervous system – similar to the way a broken record may replay part of a song on a continuous loop. In this way, traumatic experience(s) can quite literally get stuck in your head, making you feel as if you are constantly re-living and re-experiencing an event that happened in your past.

The mental, emotional, and physical toll of trauma can feel paralyzing, and people who cope with traumatic memories often feel as if they’re still there. Until your brain is able to catalogue and process the experience(s), the impact of trauma typically doesn’t improve on its own. Fortunately, trauma therapy interventions such as EMDR can help process and resolve past memories so the brain’s normal processing and healing capabilities can resume.

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What is EMDR?

EMDR stands for Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing, and it is a form of evidence-based psychotherapy – meaning it’s been proven to be effective more so than other types of therapy, specifically for individuals with PTSD. The EMDR technique involves focusing on a traumatic memory while a trained EMDR therapist guides you through bilateral stimulation exercises, such as moving your eyes rapidly back and forth in a particular rhythm and sequence. The goal of EMDR is to help you process a past trauma so that your brain no longer reacts as if it’s still in danger.

What does eye movement have to do with processing trauma?

EMDR requires bilateral stimulation to work, meaning both brain hemispheres need to be engaged throughout the process. Introducing bilateral stimulation allows the parts of your brain responsible for processing memories to reconnect with the nervous system, access the traumatized memory(ies) trapped there, and then process the information appropriately.

In earlier days of EMDR therapy, therapists would guide clients through a series of rapid eye movements to achieve this necessary bilateral stimulation. Today, more advanced technology and techniques are available to provide clients with different options for bilateral stimulation in EMDR, including…

The butterfly hug – The butterfly hug is when you cross your arms over your chest and gently self-tap your shoulders and arms in a rhythmic way that soothes your nervous system.
Knee tapping – If you prefer, I can gently tap on your knees to accomplish the bilateral stimulation needed for reprocessing.
EMDR tappers – EMDR tappers are one of the most common and effective ways to achieve bilateral stimulation for EMDR therapy. The majority of my EMDR clients prefer using EMDR tappers to achieve bilateral stimulation because it is very tactile, calming, and grounding.

What are EMDR tappers?

EMDR tappers are small panels that can be held in your hands. The tappers gently vibrate at bilateral intervals providing the dual-hemisphere stimulation your brain needs to reprocess memories. It doesn’t hurt at all, and in fact, many clients find them calming.

How does EMDR work?

At least one planning/preparation session is needed before an EMDR therapy session can take place. If EMDR is being done via weekly sessions, then additional preparatory sessions may be needed, and the overall process may take a bit longer. Before launching into an EMDR treatment plan, we will meet for at least one explorative session where we’ll discuss your therapy goals including what you hope to process through EMDR. During preliminary sessions, I will explain how the EMDR technique works in full detail and will equip you with grounding techniques and breathing exercises to ensure you are fully prepared and set up for success.

During an EMDR session, we will ensure you feel safe, comfortable, and relaxed throughout the entire experience. Through prompting questions, I’ll guide you through talking about your memory/ies. While we talk about the traumatic event(s), gentle bilateral stimulation will keep both hemispheres of your brain engaged in a rhythm of safety. We will keep your brain focused and grounded in the present moment while you access and heal your past.

As the conversation progresses, the feelings, emotions, and physical sensations you have regarding your traumatic experience will begin to shift. This is the desensitization aspect of EMDR at work. The real healing – reprocessing – occurs after an EMDR session as the brain finally reconnects with the traumatized information.

How is EMDR different than regular therapy?

If you have PTSD or cope with traumatized memories, traditional talk therapy can feel like opening up the past to stare at it. Not very helpful. Traumatic experiences can shut down cognitive functioning, so traditional talk therapy is often insufficient for resolving trauma memories. In fact, talk therapy can feel very triggering to someone coping with trauma. Trauma therapy must go deeper than regular therapy, and EMDR is a psychotherapeutic technique that has proven to be highly effective and efficient.

You do not need to remember everything.

It is common for individuals with PTSD or traumatic memories to be unable to articulate or even remember all the events that happened. That is ok. You don’t need to say everything or even know all the details in order for EMDR to work. EMDR still works even if you don’t know all the events that happened. One of the many reasons why EMDR is so helpful for processing traumatic memories is that not much language is needed. The EMDR technique does not require all the painful details that can be so difficult to talk about.

How many EMDR sessions do I need?

The number of EMDR sessions you will need to successfully process trauma will vary depending on many factors, and every situation is different. It’s difficult to predict exactly how long or how many sessions will be needed. Many people report starting to feel better after one to three sessions, and, generally, around six to twelve EMDR sessions are needed to fully process traumatic memories. Following EMDR sessions, therapeutic integration is highly beneficial, and part of EMDR treatment includes creating an integration and recovery plan, which may include continued therapy.

How long does EMDR treatment take?

There is no rush with EMDR. We can always work at whatever pace you need to ensure your nervous system stays regulated. Some people prefer to do two sessions a week or spread out their sessions weekly or bi-weekly. Others prefer to do intensives, where we work through the entire EMDR treatment plan over the course of a few days.

Is EMDR hypnosis?

No, EMDR is not hypnosis at all. You are fully conscious, alert, in control, and awake the entire time. Your feelings about yourself and the event will shift in therapy, but EMDR does not make you forget what happened. The traumatic experience is still remembered, but the fight, flight, or freeze response from the original event is resolved. EMDR is simply a trauma therapy technique that allows your brain to process the traumatic event(s), so you no longer feel held captive by past memories.

Benefits of EMDR

The biggest benefit to EMDR therapy is that it helps your brain process the traumatic memory. Once reprocessing occurs, a ripple effect begins, and the benefits are arguably unlimited. For instance, during EMDR treatment, sleep may be disrupted, or vivid dreams may be experienced. But following the completion of an EMDR treatment plan, many EMDR participants report finally being able to fall asleep quicker and sleep better.

In addition to improved sleep, other common benefits of EMDR include:

Relaxed nervous system
Lower stress hormones
Fewer mood swings
Less intense or neutralized emotional triggers
Reduced symptoms of depression and anxiety
Overall improvement in sense of well-being and happiness
Greater fulfillment in relationships
More energy

Master your memories

If painful memories have become a problem in your life, please know that EMDR can help. EMDR is one of the most researched forms of trauma therapy. Not only is EMDR highly effective at resolving trauma, but it is also one of the most efficient forms of trauma treatment currently being practiced. Whether you are suffering from a recent trauma or past trauma that occurred long ago in childhood, EMDR has helped individuals coping with PTSD experience authentic healing and psychological relief.

Please don’t suffer in silence. If you would like to learn more about whether EMDR is right for you please contact me to schedule a complementary phone consultation.

Request an EMDR Intensive Consultation

Trauma creates a change you don’t choose. Healing is about creating change you do choose.

Michelle Rosenthal

EMDR Therapy Services