Trauma healing: emdr

Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) therapy is an extensively researched, effective psychotherapy method proven to help people recover from trauma and PTSD symptoms. Ongoing research supports positive clinical outcomes, showing EMDR therapy as a helpful treatment for disorders such as anxiety, depression, OCD, chronic pain, addictions, and other distressing life experiences

The first phase of EMDR involves building internal and external resources and strengthening coping mechanisms.  Next, we identify a felt-sense experience (emotional and/or body-based) associated with a traumatic memory or traumatic relational dynamic while simultaneously experiencing bilateral stimulation (typically using tappers or eye movements), which is associated with a reduction in the vividness and emotion associated with the trauma memories (this being the “desensitization”). 

From there, we allow the brain and nervous system to incorporate adaptive memories and supportive statements surrounding the memory, leaving it behind in the past and building resiliency around present day associated triggers.

It can be tough to stick with an EMDR treatment plan for processing trauma when life seems to always present something pressing that needs to be discussed during a typical 1-hour therapy session. For this reason, I am now offering EMDR intensives: extended 4-hour blocks of time that are solely dedicated to moving through the 8 phases of the EMDR process, incorporating both attachment-based and somatic interventions. 

EMDR can absolutely be done virtually. However, EMDR intensives are exclusively an in-person offering at this time.

My rate for EMDR intensives is the same as my base rate for Psychotherapy: $150/50-minute hour. An intensive begins with at least one intake and resourcing session, where we practice somatic-based emotional regulation skills together in order to build the adaptive memory network to support the EMDR reprocessing. For many trauma survivors, multiple resourcing sessions will be needed to build an adequate adaptive support network in the nervous system. This will be assessed on a case-by-case basis. When it is time to reprocess, we will meet for a 4-hour block that is dedicated solely to the bilateral stimulation phases of EMDR, which would total $600. Many people find they are able to move through the full 8 stages of EMDR for at least one memory during this amount of time. As always, I offer a limited number of sliding scale/reduced rate options in my practice, which can be discussed at anytime. 

It can be!  EMDR is a mildly altered state of consciousness, which requires time to settle into, and to transition back out. Intensives give us the opportunity to stay in this state for an extended period of time, and let your system process more extensively without having to stop and start.

Because EMDR can be more efficient, it can save money in the long run.  People who do intensives also report benefits of quicker and more obvious trauma symptom remission, and lower schedule burden (better therapy “momentum,” without the stop/start feeling that so often interrupts trauma reprocessing, as life gets in the way). 

While we can’t guarantee a specific outcome in Psychotherapy, most people experience a significant reduction in trauma-related symptoms. 

Intensives work best with individuals who have specific goals or symptoms they want to work on related to trauma, grief, and/or persistent relationship difficulties. 

If you are actively in an addiction and have no plan or support to stop, if you are actively suicidal or actively harming yourself, or if you are actively in an eating disorder and have no plans or support to stop - an intensive would not be in your best interest at this time.