Do you feel stuck in a past experience or trauma? Do you have a strong repetitive visceral response to some situations triggering anxiety or depression? Do you find that after many attempts to heal and move on from a relationship or experience (car accident, abuse, loss, fear of heights, fear of speaking in front of an audience, etc.) you still can’t shake those horrible feelings, intense fear or shame that inhibits you from living in freedom? EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing) could be the type of therapy for you to finally heal and live more fully.
EMDR is a type of therapy that some of our therapists offer. This incorporates a bilateral stimulation process that resembles the REM part of our sleep that is the brain repair part of our sleep using eye movements, tapping, or pulsers that are held in each hand. You get to choose what method is a good fit. Often-times thoughts and feelings are disconnected when a bad experience happens. We can tell ourselves all day how we should see a situation or how we should feel about it. However, the emotion and the visceral response does not match what we are telling ourselves. We still feel horrible whether it be anxiety, anger, intense grief, or depression. EMDR addresses the visceral responses and felt beliefs (e.g. I am not safe, I am helpess, etc) that have you stuck in a past experience. You are able to reach a new positive belief that you are hoping for while the emotion matches that belief once you heal from the past experience. A new bridge is created. The event is able to remain in the past instead of staying with you physiologically and emotionally. This means freedom and being able to live more in the present.
EMDR is provided for children, teens and adults. For children and young teens, play therapy and EMDR can be combined to meet the needs of younger ones (see our page on play therapy). The wonderful part of EMDR is that words are not always necessary. You only have to share what you want to share in the process. Our therapists will first walk you or your child or teen through positive strength based interventions and relaxation techniques. Then, you get to set the pace for what you would like to target first for healing and the pace of your choosing. Our therapists are here to meet your individual and unique needs as you journey towards your own freedom and in re-writing your own new story.
Laurie, Katie and Kate offer EMDR services. Please click their names to see their bios.