EMDR Therapy

EMDR stands for Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing.

Quite the mouthful, huh?

Don’t worry, you don’t have to remember what it stands for. But let me give you a quick overview so you can understand if EMDR could be for you.

What is EMDR, anyway?

EMDR is a memory-based treatment approach that is helpful for getting icky, traumatic, or nagging thoughts or feelings to become less overwhelming and distressing.

EMDR uses bilateral stimulation (either tapping, tones, or eye movements) and other internal tools to help get unpleasant memories unstuck so that your brain can store them properly.

This 9-minute video provides a helpful overview of EMDR therapy:

(This video has some potentially triggering images, but nothing overly graphic.)

What can EMDR help with?

EMDR has been shown to help with a variety of issues, including anxiety, depression, PTSD, addiction, panic attacks. I have used EMDR to help clients with grief and loss, car accidents, body image issues, nightmares, sexual abuse, domestic violence, and more.

Your brain naturally wants to heal.

However, sometimes you go through traumatic or overwhelming things that stay with you. The memory gets STUCK. EMDR helps those memories get unstuck so that your brain can naturally reprocess like it wants to do.

How long do EMDR sessions last?

EMDR sessions are generally 60 to 90 minutes. If it is your first time doing EMDR, we will start with a 90 minute session to see how you respond to the process. From there, we will either schedule EMDR sessions for 60 minutes, 90 minutes or book an EMDR intensive.

Do EMDR therapists get special training?

Yes! EMDR is a specialty that requires extensive training. To be considered an EMDR-trained therapist, I had to undergo 40 hours of in-person training and consultation. Since being trained in 2017, I’ve attended advanced training on EMDR and have ongoing consultation to ensure I’m offering you EMDR that is of the highest standard.

How do I know if EMDR is right for me?

The best way to find this out is to schedule a free phone consultation with me. I’ll ask more questions to make sure EMDR is a good treatment option for you.