What is EMDR?
(Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing)
EMDR is a specialized treatment with a set of standardized protocols that incorporates elements from many different treatment approaches to facilitate healing.
At its core, EMDR is an exposure-based therapy first developed by Dr. Francine Shapiro in 1987.
EMDR is an evidence-based treatment model that has been found effective in the treatment of many disorders including PTSD and trauma-related disorders.
It involves 8 Phases of Treatment with a strong emphasis on education, coping (or “resourcing”), desensitizing, acceptance of positive perspectives, connection with one’s body, and building hope for the future.
How Does It Work?
EMDR utilizes bilateral stimulation to help accelerate the processing of traumatic content and in turn, speed up healing.
Bilateral stimulation can be done in many ways from alternating tapping on your legs to alternating tones in headphones. Classic EMDR employs bilateral eye movement (hence the name), in which patients follow either the therapist’s hand, an object, or a light as they focus on a troubling memory and. belief about themself.
It is believed that bilateral stimulation mimics standard memory consolidation of normal memories, a process which is unable to successfully consolidate traumatic ones. This then helps these traumatic memories become “unstuck” and can facilitate natural healing.
“Although PTSD is triggered by trauma, it is really a disease of memory. The problem isn’t the trauma; it’s that ...the emotional charge of the memories remains hair-trigger and consequently intrudes into numerous activities of daily living.”
– George Lindenfeld
As EMDR is a specialized service, fees vary slightly from standard individual therapy services.
Please inquire for further detail on the cost of EMDR therapy.
**No Call/No Show or Late Cancellation without 48hr notice will be billed at the Full Fee for the scheduled service**