Eye  Movement  Desensitization  and  Reprocessing  (EMDR)  Therapy

You’ve tried letting go of the past.

But the past hasn’t let go of you.

Plagued by constant nightmares, you haven’t slept well in ages. Images and memories break into your mind without warning, leaving you rattled and constantly on edge.

You move through your day with this sense that the floor may suddenly fall out from beneath you at any moment – it follows you everywhere.

Raw emotions and adrenaline flood your body without warning. It’s like having no control over your body or thoughts.

“I’m stupid. I’m weak. I had it coming. No one is safe to trust.” These negative thoughts assault your mind, insistent, and crowd out all else. Forget concentrating at work.

ENOUGH!

An experience that overwhelmed your nervous system is called trauma.

Sure, you’ve heard the word.

It calls up images of events like war, abuse, tornadoes, house fires, and car wrecks. But many people don’t realize that trauma can also occur on a much smaller scale.

Trauma can occur from bullying, emotionally unavailable caregivers, divorce, or any type of experience where you felt helpless. These events can overwhelm our nervous system and leave trauma behind.

When the memories come up, your body still feels like it’s in that scary situation.

You may be familiar with the stress responses of Fight, Flight, or Freeze. We can get stuck in those reactions, but we don’t have to carry them our entire lives.

It’s time to put your painful past behind you.

EMDR is an evidence-based method of therapy that is a result of extensive research. Science has proven that it works and works faster than most other therapies.

By design, EMDR helps people recover from trauma and other distressing life experiences, including PTSD, anxiety, depression, and panic disorders.

Here’s what to Expect in Sessions.

The whole point of EMDR is to process the distressing life events so that we are no longer reacting as if we are still in danger.

In the beginning, I’ll help you build practical tools and skills (like deep breathing, progressive muscle relaxation, building a container, and resource team) that help you manage distressing feelings.

And they’ll come in handy when you start working through difficult memories, anxiety, or stressors.

In the next phase, the reprocessing part of EMDR begins.

This reprocessing is where EMDR is a therapy like no other. Instead of talking in detail about a painful experience, you quietly think about the event while both hemispheres of your brain become stimulated back and forth.

By creating rapid sets of side-to-side eye movements, much like REM sleep, I guide you to notice what comes to mind after each set. Then, helpful shifts in insights, images, feelings, and beliefs regarding the event start to occur.

The healing takes place naturally within your brain.

You still remember the experience, but the fight, flight, or freeze response from the original event no longer occurs. Instead, you remember the past like it’s in the past, as you rediscover more positive beliefs about yourself and the world.

Experiencing this rediscovery can be you. A path to healing is possible.

Imagine sleeping again without the nightmares every night, feeling comfortable in your skin, and no longer avoiding certain places, people, or things because they remind you of unpleasant experiences.

Imagine those unwanted memories that show up, disappearing.

Even after a few EMDR sessions, people report feeling better already. Are you ready to feel better?

Let’s get started.

I’d love to speak more with you to see if EMDR therapy is right for you. Reach out today by calling me at (615) 219-9932.