EMDR Therapy Austin

• What is EMDR?

  Eye Movement and Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) is an evidenced based and highly effective therapy modality that reduces distress from traumatic memories in the nervous system. IT mimics the REM cycle during sleep (by using bilateral stimulation), which usually allows the body to process what has occurred throughout the day. Sometimes these experiences get “stuck” due to the overwhelming nature of the events. EMDR moves the traumatic experience in the nervous system in order to process, desensitize, and access adaptive thoughts in our frontal lobe.

• Who is EMDR appropriate for?

  EMDR can be done with children as young as three. It requires some initial resourcing to ensure the client has enough adaptive material to draw from and resources to support the client between session. Clients with complex trauma and dissociation may require more resourcing and require clinicians who are trained in using EMDR with dissociation. If there is significant substance use, care is taken to determine readiness for trauma processing.

• What does an EMDR session look like?

  There are Eight Phases of EMDR:

  • History Taking & Treatment Planning-

    A full history is gathered and a collaborative plan is made about what the client would like to desensitize. This can be memories, feeling states, triggers, current and future concerns and fears.

  • Preparation-

    The therapist explains the process and what to expect. Resourcing is implemented to allow the client a sense of agency and techniques to cope between sessions should disturbance arise.

  • Assessment-

    A target to process is identified, along with associated beliefs, feelings, images, and emotions about the event. The event distress (SUDS) is measured as well as the validity of the positive cognitions (VOC).

  • Desensitization-

    Bilateral stimulation (eye movement, sound, tapping) is applied to begin reducing the target distress. While processing, new images, thoughts, feelings or sensations may emerge.

  • Installation-

    Once the distress has been processed, the positive belief is installed and strengthened until it feels true.

  • Body Scan-

    The client notices how their body feels now with the new cognition to ensure all physical distress and processed. Any remaining distressed is process through.

  • Closure-

    Whether the target is fully processed or not, the Therpist will guide the client through a closing exercise to return them to a state of calm before ending the session.

  • Reassessment

    The original target is checked to ensure no new material has arisen and the event remains neutral or even positive. If new material has come up, it is processed again with stages 3-8.

• Does EMDR require talking about trauma?

  Verbally processing the trauma is not required.

• Is EMDR effective for PTSD?

  Absolutely! We know now that a diagnosis of PTSD is not a life sentence. Material can be processed so there is no longer distress around the memories and people can heal to the point of no longer meeting the criteria for PTSD.

MORE TO COME!!

• Can EMDR help complex trauma?

• Can EMDR help anxiety?

• What happens before trauma processing?

• Is online EMDR available?

• Who provides EMDR at Align?

• What training/certification do Julie and Steve have?

• How much does it cost?

• How do I schedule?