Trauma Therapy

EMDR is a unique and highly effective method of permanently healing the memories, emotions, and
trapped body sensations that linger after a traumatic event.

EMDR is evidence-based, meaning it has been examined with research and found to be a highly effective
method of treating not only PTSD and C-PTSD, but many other mental health challenges, too. While it may seem unusual to use eye movements as part of therapy, the treatment is not a passing trend or gimmick, but instead provides bona fide healing when other therapy modalities cannot.

EMDR helps to build a connection in your brain from the traumatic memories to your present-day safety. It corrects faulty or trauma-based thinking patterns; desensitizes traumatic pictures, emotions, and body sensations that stay trapped in your body after a trauma; and connects new, healthy thoughts to your emotions and your body. The result is deep, permanent healing in the brain, and restored peace
and calm in your physical self.

EMDR would be an excellent treatment choice for traumas like…

• An upsetting accident or injury—weeks or years ago, it’s never too late to heal;
• Abuse – any type, whether a single time or many similar incidents;
• Disasters – natural or manmade, happening to you or someone you witnessed;
• Upsetting pictures that replay on loop in your mind, whether from the death of a loved one, overwhelming conversation, or any other “I’ll never forget the time when…” events that life can bring

Another, more specialized use of EMDR is for permanently healing long-standing negative beliefs about
yourself and the world.

If you have ever suffered from beliefs such as….
“…I’m just not good enough.”
“…everything is my responsibility, it’s all on me.”

“…I’ll never be worthy of good things.”
“…I’m completely unlovable.”
“…I can’t handle it.”
…then EMDR is a perfect answer to clearing out and cleaning up those blocking beliefs, replacing them
with more adaptive and healthy beliefs.
Wouldn’t it be wonderful to truly feel, not just know logically, that…
“My best is all I can give, and it’s always enough.”
“I can accept my true responsibilities and leave the rest for help from others.”
“I was created, and am still, worthy.”
“I am loveable, and loved, just as I am.”
“I CAN handle it!”
If you are interested in pursuing treatment with EMDR, contact the office today for a consultation.
*Please note: some mental health conditions require periods of preparation before EMDR is
recommended for use. This is assessed as part of the intake process, and any timeframes needed before
EMDR can happen will be communicated to new patients.*

A-TIP is a mental health treatment protocol used for recent traumatic events, as soon after the event
as possible. It is similar to Critical Incident Stress Debriefing used for helping professionals, but uses a
neurological healing related to EMDR therapy.

If you or a loved one or co-worker have experienced a recent trauma—witnessing a crime, experiencing an accident, surviving an injury, responding to the scene as a first responder—and are now struggling with panic, flashbacks, nightmares, or other symptoms that are stopping you from your daily activities, contact the office about scheduling an appointment for A-TIP treatment. Priority is given to healthcare workers and emergency/law enforcement/first responders, but all are welcome to this service.

Related to EMDR, A-TIP works on your negative belief about the incident (such as “I should have done more to help,” “I’ll never forget how that felt,” “I’m not sure how I made it through that”) as well as the unpleasant fear responses in your body (racing thoughts, fast heartbeat, shakiness, etc.) to restore you to how you felt before the event. At the end of treatment, you will still remember what happened, but the distress you feel will be greatly reduced. A-TIP is intended to be used for only one session to reduce as much distress as possible. Think of it as a mental health emergency room, to help stabilize you and get you back to your life again.

Intrigued by what EMDR can do for you, but don’t want to wait months to see results working in weeklytherapy sessions?

Busy working professional, parent, or someone who can’t commit to ongoing therapy appointments?

Intensely distressed by a recent trauma, and can’t function well because of it?

Interested in clearing out and cleaning up old beliefs from childhood that no longer serve you, such as
“I’m always a problem,” “I’ll never measure up,” or “It’s all my fault”?

Ready for a weekend getaway where you work on yourself in a lasting, life-changing way?

Ask if EMDR Intensives may be a good fit for you.
An EMDR Intensive is a full treatment plan using EMDR, compressed into fewer sessions that are
longer in length.

Longer sessions allow for the neurological healing of EMDR to work more quickly, because more connections can be made by working “straight through” as your brain is in problem-solving mode during
the therapy. In weekly therapy, those connections may need to be closed down early because we run out of time when the therapy hour ends… but in an intensive, you are free to focus on a problem and work through it intensively.

Sessions can last from 1.5 to 2.5 hours as determined by your treatment needs, and may occur across
several appointments.

As part of your EMDR Intensive, you will receive a comprehensive treatment plan to address one event or troublesome belief; multiple sessions of EMDR therapy; guided journal exercises and pre- and post- treatment symptom assessments to understand what has changed as a result of treatment. As a nontraditional therapy service that integrates live sessions, between-session communications, handouts, and customized materials, EMDR Intensives are not billable to insurance. Not all patients’ concerns are eligible for this service, but potential patients are welcome to inquire if interested.