EMDR in Charlotte North Carolina and South Carolina
I can’t stop thinking about what happened; now what?
Maybe you’ve had a recent trauma, or maybe there are experiences you had years ago that still bother you. You might have recurrent thoughts about the event, nightmares, or anxiety. You don’t want to think about what happened, but you just can’t get it out of your head. Or maybe, there’s not specific thoughts, but you have these sensations and emotions that you just can’t get rid of.
Whatever it is that you’re experiencing, you’re beginning to notice the impact in every area of your life:
Feeling unable to stay focused at work or school
Feeling irritable or snapping at friends and family
Trouble sleeping or having nightmares
Avoiding reminders of the event
EMDR can help.
EMDR can help with…
Trauma and PTSD
Anxiety and panic
Feelings of depression
Phobias
Getting “unstuck” when traditional talk therapy stalls
What is EMDR?
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) is an evidence-based psychotherapy method designed to help individuals heal from the distress and trauma that negatively impact their lives. While it was initially developed to address trauma responses and PTSD, many people benefit from using EMDR to address depression, anxiety, phobias, and other concerns.
EMDR is different from traditional talk therapy. While there is some focus on talking about what happened, a lot of the process is internal. EMDR focuses on the brain’s natural ability to heal itself; the therapist is there to help guide the process.
How does EMDR work?
EMDR follows a specific set protocol, moving through eight distinct phases. The first three phases look more like traditional therapy- we will gather history, review some coping strategies, and decide on specific memories or instances to work on. Phase 4 is where things start to look more like what people think of when they imagine EMDR. This is where we use bilateral stimulation, through using eye movements or tapping on yourself in a butterfly hug, while you think about the distressing event.
Following the processing, we work on finding replacement thoughts for some of the negative feelings, do a body scan to check for any additional trauma or tenseness, and close up the session. The next session would start with a re-evaluation of how you feel about the event, and then we would determine if we need to do additional processing on that event, target a new memory, or switch to a different method.
Even when we can’t change the events that brought you to therapy, we can change how overwhelming it feels. EMDR can help break through the overwhelm and bring back peace and calm.
I’ll help you through this process, tailoring each step to your specific needs and preferences. My approach comes from a place of compassion: even in life’s struggles, you can find peace and healing.
As hard as it can be, it’s worth it.
Frequently Asked Questions about EMDR
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Many people can benefit from using EMDR in therapy! While typically thought of for trauma treatment, EMDR can effectively treat a variety of issues including anxiety, panic, depression, phobias, grief, addiction, performance anxiety, and more!
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In short: yes! EMDR can be done effectively online. Some people prefer this as it allows them the ability to have all of the comforts of home around them while addressing distressing thoughts and memories.
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During an EMDR processing session, we will identify a specific memory to address. While you think about the event, your therapist will guide you through multiple sets of bilateral stimulation (either eye movements, sound, or self-tapping). We will pause between sets to identify ways your thoughts and feelings have shifted.
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While there are similarities (brainspotting was discovered during EMDR sessions!), there are some key differences. Brainspotting is completely client-led, meaning there is no strict protocol to follow, and you don’t have to talk as much as is required in EMDR. EMDR focuses on not only the trauma, but also reframing thoughts and feelings. While brainspotting solely uses eye position (with the option to have music in the background), EMDR does not actually have to use the eyes at all!
Learn more about brainspotting here.
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As always, the answer to that depends on your particular brain! While traditionally it is helpful for processing sessions to take 90 minutes, we can make it work in an hour. And the number of sessions really depends on your particular goals and responses to treatment.
Some folks prefer an EMDR therapy intensive, as this allows for more continuous time during the session over a shorter period of time.
You can schedule a free consult here to answer any additional questions about scheduling EMDR sessions.
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No! While EMDR does have a protocol to follow, there is a lot of flexibility as well. Also, for people who don't like EMDR, we can always switch over to Brainspotting if you prefer. And finally, some folks find it beneficial to flip flop between interventions like EMDR and Brainspotting and traditional talk therapy. It's truly about what is best for you!
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Super easy! Head over to my contact page and submit the form to schedule a free consult. I’m excited to get the chance to meet you!