EDMR Therapy
Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing Therapy (EMDR) is a non-traditional but highly effective therapy that is backed by extensive research. It’s been shown to be successful at treating symptoms of PTSD, anxiety, and depression.
It is an 8-phase, focused therapy that allows your brain to heal without having to verbally repeat in extensive detail the distressing experiences you’ve had.
How Does EMDR Work?
EMDR uses “bilateral stimulation” – either tapping the body on one side then the other, or moving your eyes back and forth – to bypass where you are feeling mentally/emotionally “stuck.” The bilateral movements connect both hemispheres of your brain together, allowing the left side of your brain to self-soothe the right side of your brain, a process we call “desensitization” in EMDR.
This both-side connection also helps your brain to finally process old, stored memories and experiences that often have turned into deeply held negative beliefs about yourself. In EMDR we refer to this process as your brain beginning to think more adaptively. The combination of holding a more adaptive (balanced) understanding of your experiences and having less sensitivity to the memories/feelings from the past often bring people a huge sense of relief.
Frequently Asked Quesions
-
Due to the unique way EMDR reprocesses distressing memories, it often takes less time to see big changes. Many clients report relief in fewer sessions of EMDR than more traditional therapies.
-
Sometimes the things we have been living with for a long time –anxiety, low mood, trouble connecting with others – get disconnected from the “root cause” of these symptoms.
You may benefit from EMDR if you:
Have been repeatedly told you are “hard on yourself.”
Have a negative inner voice that speaks harshly about almost anything you do.
You struggle to manage big emotions.
You chew on the same past experiences in your mind again and again, and feel like your brain has certain thoughts or memories “stuck on loop.”
You feel like an imposter.
You struggle to maintain or find relationships that feel balanced, healthy, and reciprocal.
You carry a lot of pain from past experiences and are having a hard time moving forward.
You’ve experienced an event or situation where you felt totally overwhelmed or scared.
You believe deep down that you don’t matter.
You feel like you’re never good enough.
Anxiety creeps into a lot of your daily life and you feel like you’re having a hard time managing it.
Your mood is consistently lower than it has been in the past and you can’t seem to make yourself feel better.
If any of this resonates with you, we would love to connect and explore if EMDR would be a good fit. Let’s get in touch and start figuring this out together!
EDMR Therapy for Trauma and Sexual Assault
If you have had something overwhelming happen to you and are struggling to cope, we want you to know: you are not alone.
Juniper Tree Counseling specialize in offering trauma-informed care to people who are struggling after they experience distressing, overwhelming or violent/traumatic events. We will work with you to offer support and guidance so you can begin to heal.
Together, we will come up with a plan that draws upon my knowledge, experience and training to help you get relief.
Trauma therapy can also be helpful even if the event or experience happened deeper in the past. One of the most challenging things about trauma is that long after the incident, we can still feel its impacts. Over time we may even become disconnected from realizing how our past is impacting our day to day lives.
Who may benefit form EMDR therapy for trauma?
You may benefit from therapy if you are experiencing any of the following:
Nightmares, insomnia, sleep disturbances
Panic attacks
Constantly feeling “on edge”
Increased irritability or anger
Lack of patience
Constant fatigue and lack of focus not explained by a medical disorder
Like you need to avoid certain people, places, and things to be ok
Somatic symptoms when you’re reminded of what happened to you, such as sweaty palms, shortness of breath, racing heart, feeling dizzy/faint, etc.
Feeling disconnected from others
Frequently feeling like you are mentally “checked out” or missing gaps in your memory
Feeling compelled toward more risky behaviors, such as driving fast, drinking/using substances more often, having riskier sexual encounters, etc.
Persistent negative thoughts of guilt, shame, and low self-worth
Easily startled by loud noises, surprises, or sudden changes
Please know that you don’t have to live with this forever. Trauma can be highly treatable with the right care. We encourage you to reach out today to schedule a free consult call so we can help you like yourself again.
If any of this resonates with you, we would love to connect and explore if I would be a good fit for you. Let’s get in touch and start helping you grow!
EMDR Therapy for Anxiety
Anxiety, for many people, can be incredibly debilitating. It can prevent us from living our most authentic lives, showing up for ourselves and others in meaningful ways, and can wreak havoc in our professional and academic careers.
Oftentimes our anxiety has become disconnected from its source. Therapy, especially EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing) therapy, can be incredibly helpful at healing old wounds and negative core beliefs that feed our anxiety.
EMDR goes beyond traditional talk therapy and coping skills-based work to actually heal neural pathways in your brain, calming your nervous system and reducing your brain’s need to be on constant alert. This often leads to a substantial reduction in anxiety levels for many people.
Who may benefit from EMDR therapy for anxiety?
You feel as though your anxiety has a negative impact on your day to day life.
You are constantly worrying about things that are out of your control or that are in the future.
You find yourself procrastinating often.
You have experienced panic attacks.
You’re unable to sleep at night due to anxious thoughts.
You avoid certain people, places or situations in order to manage your anxiety.
Your brain frequently jumps to thinking that only the worst possible outcome in a situation will happen.
You are constantly over analyzing certain situations or playing them on loop again and again in your head.
Your anxiety is interfering in your ability to have healthy relationships with others.
Your anxiety is getting in the way of you completing tasks for school and/or work.
You frequently use substances to self-medicate or try to manage your anxiety.
You feel as though your anxiety is simply out of control.
Taking the first step to get help can be scary. If any of this resonates with you, take a deep breath in and reach out today.