WHAT IS EMDR?
EMDR stands for Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing. It is a heavily-researched and highly-effective type of therapy used to treat trauma, anxiety, substance abuse, addiction, depression, unresolved memories, and other mental health concerns.
EMDR is not traditional talk therapy. If you’ve been in therapy before, you’ve likely talked about your past and current problems, been given homework to do at home, and for some people, this works great! We offer this kind of therapy too, and it really does help people. EMDR is different. You will work with your therapist to develop a plan for all the memories, current triggers, and future goals you want to process with EMDR therapy.
We understand that you may not want to go to a therapist to hash out the past — which can be incredibly painful and triggering. That’s where EMDR comes in. What if you could heal from your pain and reduce your anxiety without having to talk about it over and over again? Our clients come to us because they want cutting-edge tools to help them, and what’s amazing, is that EMDR does this at a brain and neuron level. EMDR is a cutting-edge science-based way of changing the brain. After you utilize EMDR you respond to stress differently and you aren’t quick to get upset about things.
People who come to us for EMDR therapy have often experienced panic attacks, intense anxiety, flashbacks, nightmares, depression, and feelings of low self-worth. Sometimes clients come to us because they have a diagnosis of PTSD and want relief from the symptoms that include anger outbursts, anxiety and depression, nightmares, flashbacks, and fear or avoidance of the person or place associated with the trauma. Even if you aren’t sure why you are feeling the way you feel, EMDR can help. Your therapist will help you identify patterns, emotions, and behaviors you wish to change and even help you identify problems in your relationships that can be helped with EMDR.
Some of our clients have been in therapy in the past and have found EMDR much more effective than just regular talk therapy. Our therapists help adults who struggle with symptoms of anxiety, who feel overwhelmed in life, and spend their days caring for everyone else. You will learn to identify your feelings and emotions and develop skills that help you cope. As you develop self-compassion, you will learn to turn off the negative self-talk and worry that fills your head at night. Together, we will explore patterns in your family and life that keep you stuck and leave you feeling unlovable, worthless, and hopeless. We will examine thought patterns that create feelings of shame and defeat.
How Does EMDR Work?
EMDR involves bilateral stimulation, which calms the brain and nervous system and allows you to fully process memories and rewire new pathways in your brain and body. We use bilateral stimulation in EMDR to provide feedback to your brain and body. We can do this in several ways:
We usually use Theratappers, which is an electronic device with two paddles you hold in the palm of each hand during processing. The paddles alternately vibrate in your palm during processing.
Another option is to tap your thighs or track the therapist’s fingers with your eyes as they swipe it back and forth in front of your eye.
I know this all might sound a little strange, but we explain all this thoroughly during your sessions and you have control over what kind of bilateral stimulation is used. We can even conduct EMDR online and use a special software so you can listen to alternating sounds in your ears or track a ball moving back and forth on your computer screen. This is a collaborative process and your therapist will help you find the method(s) you feel most comfortable with.
What happens during a session?
During an EMDR session, you will be asked to close your eyes or look at the floor or any point in the office that is away from the therapist’s face. Your therapist will sit quietly, tracking your progress, facial expressions, and movements as you process. Most people sit quietly with their eyes closed and we carefully look for nuances that indicate your processing shifted or changed. We will periodically ask, “What did you notice?” You will provide a few words to describe where you are in your processing and we’ll reply with, “Let’s go with that.”
This will continue until you fully process the memory, feel calm, relaxed, and more self-confident.
Can I do EMDR Online?
This process is the same for an online EMDR session, except your therapist watches you closely on a computer or tablet screen. One disadvantage to online EMDR therapy is that we can’t see your entire body and depending on the quality of your camera, it might be more difficult to see all the nuances we can see in person. It is possible to do EMDR therapy online and your therapist will help you decide on a space in your home that is quiet, well lit to have your EMDR sessions. You can even have your dog, cat, or other emotional support animal present (as long as it isn’t too distracting), soothing essential oils, or fidget toys to use during your online EMDR session.
How EMDR Can Help
In our sessions, you will learn to slow down and use skills that help keep you from becoming overwhelmed. Clients describe our therapists as calm and accepting and feel supported as they make changes. Our clients develop self-compassion during our work together and feel calmer and more grounded in their day-to-day life. We have therapists who are certified by EMDRIA to provide EMDR who understand how anxiety, trauma, and addictions impact the brain. If you are tired of waiting on the people or circumstances around you to change, and ready to take control of your own life…
Schedule your free 20-minute phone consultation to start the process of healing on your own with EMDR therapy in Houston, Texas.
