Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing
When a traumatic, negative, or disruptive event happens in your life it can become stored in your brain with original images, sounds, thoughts, feelings, and body sensations. EMDR seems to stimulate the information and allows the brain to reprocess the experience. That may be what is happening in REM or dream sleep. The eye movements (tones, tactile, tapping) may help to reprocess the frozen material.
According to the EMDR Institute, it is a psychotherapy treatment designed “to alleviate the distress associated with traumatic memories” and help improve your mental health.
How does EMDR work?
To begin reprocessing these stored negative memories and emotions your counselor will do an in-depth assessment to ensure you are a good candidate for EMDR and create a treatment plan.
What is the Eye Movement aspect of EMDR? In short, it is side-to-side eye movements guided by your counselor to help you briefly focus on that troublesome memory. This process is also initiated via tapping.
What is Desensitization and Reprocessing? While you’re focused on a specific memory, you’ll be describing any feelings, sensations, sounds, or smells as your counselor guides you through reprocessing and releasing those trapped emotions.
Reprocessing will allow you to break down the traumatic aspects of a particular memory and remove the negative connotation it holds in your mind, essentially making the event just a memory. Reprocessing usually involves working through and making associations with negative and positive emotions, putting words to your feelings, and analyzing visual information.
How does your brain heal itself?
Much like your body can heal from physical injury, your brain can recover from psychological injury by reprocessing all you can remember from a negative event or prolonged exposure. Your counselor will gently guide you through these memories, processing and releasing what has been stored in your brain.
What is EMDR helpful with?
Anxiety, panic attacks, phobias, chronic illness and medical issues, depression and bipolar disorders, dissociative disorders, eating disorders, grief and loss, pain, performance anxiety, personality disorders, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and other trauma and stress-related issues, sexual assault, sleep disturbance, substance abuse and addiction, violence and abuse
Who can benefit from EMDR therapy?
EMDR therapy is non-invasive, creating a safe and effective environment for children and adults of all ages.
How long does an EMDR session last?
Because this process is so in depth and every client’s needs are unique, we like to schedule EMDR in 2-hour increments. The first hour will be billed to your insurance carrier, if applicable, and the second hour is always self-pay.
Our EMDR Providers
Rosalinda Orta, MA, NCC, LPC-S
Jann Anguish, MA, LPC
Jonathan tekell, MA, NCC, LPC
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Bilateral Stimulation (BLS)
Consistent alternating stimulus on both sides of your body. Physically, lightly tapping your shoulders or knees in an alternating pattern. Visually, following your therapists finger left to right. Auditory, Audio channels alternating from left to right. Tactile, Squeezing a ball in your left hand, then in the right. Engaging both sides of your brain to unlock and process traumatic events caught in the nervous system.
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