EYE-MOVEMENT DESENSITIZATION & REPROCESSING (EMDR)
EMDR is an interactive research-backed therapy that allows clients to heal from trauma, abusive relationships, insecure attachment, chronic pain, anxiety, & more in significantly less time than with traditional talk therapy.
EMDR is based on the Adaptive Information Processing (AIP) model that suggests memories of traumatic or distressing events are often not processed by the brain adaptively. When this happens, memories can become stored dysfunctionally in neural networks along with the emotional charge, sensory components, fears, and negative beliefs associated with the experience.
To remedy this, EMDR uses bilateral stimulation or BLS, such as eye-movements, rhythmic tones, or gentle tapping to engage the brain’s natural information-processing abilities, allowing the memories to be reprocessed and desensitized to create an adaptive, resolved state. Clients report feeling an immediate difference when this adaptive state is achieved, sharing that the discomfort and negativity from the memory has been replaced with acceptance and hopefulness.
What to Expect
When doing EMDR in my office, I’ll guide you through BLS using a moving light bar that you’ll follow back and forth with your eyes, or by listening to alternating audio tones with headphones or by having you hold a small device that generates rhythmic vibrations. For virtual sessions, you’ll engage in BLS using my secure, interactive website, tracking a ball moving across a calming background on your computer screen or plugging in your headphones to hear alternating sound effects such as a heartbeat.
For clients with chronic-PTSD or abusive/dysfunctional relationships in their past we’ll use Attachment-Focused EMDR. I’ll guide you through the process using the Butterfly Hug, which is a self-tapping method. AF-EMDR is unique because it helps heal your attachment system by integrating a selection of pleasant sensations and supportive qualities from healthy relationships using the Butterfly Hug and your own creativity and imagination. See the FAQ page for more info about AF-EMDR.
EMDR therapy consists of both 50-minute talk therapy sessions and 75-minute reprocessing sessions.* The 50-min sessions are for building rapport and exploring your trauma history or chronic issue to determine targets for reprocessing. Reprocessing sessions are the meat and potatoes of EMDR. They are 75 minutes long and include a brief preparation, reprocessing and desensitization of your chosen target followed by closing with guided imagery or grounding so you leave feeling centered and calm. EMDR is an accelerated method that produces lasting results in as little as 8 sessions (depending on your unique presentation).
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*75-minute reprocessing sessions are only available when paying privately. However, you can use your insurance to pay for the 50-minute sessions if I am in-network with your plan. Contact me for more info.