EMDR Therapy

Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) is a well-researched, proven therapy for treating trauma and stress-related disorders like anxiety, depression, eating disorders, chronic illness, PTSD, grief and loss, and sleep disorders.

Trauma comes in many forms…

“Big T” trauma can be a single event, or a “sword-blade event,” like a car accident, being victimized by another person, or feeling like your life is in danger.

“Small T” trauma, or what I call the “million papercuts,” can come from repeated events that lead to negative thinking about ourselves or the world. Things like childhood bullying, narcissistic abuse, irresponsible parenting, multiple losses, or even toxic work environments all build up in our system to produce “small T” trauma.

When you experience trauma, it can manifest in various ways – even long afterward.

You might develop anxiety, a sense of sadness, or a “funk” that you can’t seem to shake.

It can come to you through feedback from friends about how you behave in certain situations.

Or you might be triggered out of the blue, experiencing what clinicians call “free-floating anxiety.”

Any experience that “reminds” us of past trauma can trigger our biological flight-freeze-or-fawn response. These triggers can seem obvious, like trying to get behind the wheel again after an accident, or they can be more subtle, like the temperature on a summer day reminding us unconsciously of the day something bad happened.

EMDR can “de-stress” your memories.

That’s critical to healing because, as you know, those memories are incorporated into the way you think, feel, and behave.

EMDR activates the brain’s natural healing process and allows the brain to detach from the pain of our pasts.

EMDR is based on the knowledge that our brain is constantly changing and is malleable. This is called neural plasticity. Specifically, EMDR relies on the brain’s ability to adaptively process past, present, and future information if allowed. EMDR goes to the past experiences that were overwhelming to this process and allows you to view them objectively in a safe, healing environment. When we feel overwhelmed, we often do not process and store the memory the same way we would store a less stressful memory.

In virtual EMDR, we will use a set of the body or eye movements (either tapping on your shoulders, arms, or legs or looking between two fixed points in the room) that will help us access the information from the places it is stored in the brain. This bilateral and dual attention stimulus allows us to “reprocess” the experience from a calmer and neutral place, thereby storing it differently in the brain for the future. Once an experience is “reprocessed,” it becomes “desensitized,” and the triggers that once haunted your days will become benign stimuli.

In an EMDR session, you will be asked to answer questions or pick images from your mind of an event from the past. You may also be focusing on the body sensations associated with this experience. Sets of eye movements or tapping will begin, and you will be asked to talk about what thoughts or images are coming up for you. You will be aware of the past memory, the safety of the present, and what is changing in your body as we discuss what is happening in your mind and body.

Once the memory no longer feels as disturbing to you, we will begin to look at evidence of adaptive thinking or the opposite of the negative thinking you previously held. We may also imagine coming into contact with similar triggers in the future and discussing how the experience will be different from how it has been in the past.

In an EMDR session (or series of sessions)…

It is important to understand that, in EMDR therapy, “processing” does not necessarily mean talking about painful experiences.

Instead, we’ll go right to the source of the pain: the old emotions, thoughts, and maladaptive messages you have about yourself.

We will activate the brain networks linked to these memories. As your guide, I will help you view the experience objectively, adding specific body movements to help you let go of the pain, anger, fear, or other negative emotions it brings to the surface.

These memories are then reintegrated objectively and attached to more positive thinking and more adaptive skills so that when triggered again the experience is no longer distressing. EMDR helps locate your triggers, dismantle them, and neutralize them so you can move on to healthier coping.

You can do all this without ever leaving your home!

Black Lotus Counseling offers EMDR through a telehealth platform, so you can do your EMDR sessions from the comfort of your own home or wherever you feel safest.

Just imagine…

No traffic…

No anxiety about a waiting room…

No strangers to talk to on your way to therapy…

And no wishing you had your favorite comfort items with you… because you’ll have them right there with you.

Let’s build you a better life experience…

Learn why you feel the way you do sometimes, feel calmer and less triggered, and go beyond talking and get to the root of the issue.

Call or send a text today to set up a free 20-minute consultation: (484) 599-2640.