EMDR Therapy Longwood, FL
EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) is a trauma-focused therapy that can help people process distressing experiences and reduce the emotional intensity, negative beliefs, and physical reactions associated with them.
What Is EMDR Therapy Anyway?
EMDR is different than most other therapies as it involves very little talking while processing. We will discuss a variety of events that we may do EMDR on and then select one to start with. From there, we will set up some additional skills and then we will begin processing and re-categorizing your memories from negative to positive. EMDR is a trauma-focused therapy that uses bilateral stimulation to help clients process distressing memories and reduce the emotional intensity associated with them. This process is hard to explain without experiencing it but your therapist will be with you the whole time making sure you are okay and processing effectively with short check-in’s. You will revisit memories, think thorough situations, feel body sensations and maybe even encounter past versions of yourself. If you’re a talker, no worries, after processing you can have a full session to discuss what you processed, though, no one has taken Audrey up on this offer so far. EMDR can be done virtually even if you’re not in the Longwood area as long as you’re in Florida I am happy to work with you to get real relief with EMDR.
How EMDR Can Help
Originally, EMDR was first used for trauma treatment and it is very effective at this. However, it has also been proven to help with anxiety, depression, distressing or overwhelming memories and negative beliefs about yourself.
What Happens During EMDR Therapy?
As an experiential type therapy, EMDR can be intense because you are revisiting past memories. You may feel as you did in that moment and reprocess that memory. However, in a typical session the memory should feel a little lighter by the end of the session because of the adaptive information processing (AIP) model that helps you to truly feel and then let go of your feelings.
Am I Ready for EMDR?
Most people who have never had an EMDR therapist are not ready for full EMDR processing after the first session of therapy. Due to this, Audrey provides a few DBT skills to prepare for active processing. Clients tend to enjoy this as it allows for a bit more talk therapy and gives tangible coping skills. Typically this could take 3-4 sessions but could take up to 6 months if you need more support. Either way, there is support and we will work together to increase your ability to tolerate your body sensations and emotions.
EMDR for Complex Trauma and Dissociation
EMDR is one of the most effective treatments for trauma, however, one roadblock can be dissociation which is a side effect of trauma. However, Audrey has additional training in dissociation and what to do when it interferes with EMDR treatment. Dissociation was an effective coping mechanism when things were unsafe however, now we can work to help you let go of being “zoned out” and unable to connect to others.
How DBT Can Support EMDR
DBT can support your EMDR treatment by building up coping skills before, during and after active EMDR treatment. DBT focuses on helping people to get in touch with their emotions and tolerate them when they are too strong. First, we will work on helping you to learn how to notice, feel and truly process emotions. Next, we will learn some coping skills to tolerate strong emotional reactions. Finally, we will start active EMDR reprocessing when you feel ready.
Your Questions, Answered
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EMDR is different than most other therapies as it involves very little talking while processing. We will discuss a variety of events that we may do EMDR on and then select one to start with. From there, we will set up some additional skills and then we will begin processing and re-categorizing your memories from negative to positive. EMDR is a trauma-focused therapy that uses bilateral stimulation to help clients process distressing memories and reduce the emotional intensity associated with them. This process is hard to explain without experiencing it but your therapist will be with you the whole time making sure you are okay and processing effectively with short check-in’s. You will revisit memories, think thorough situations, feel body sensations and maybe even encounter past versions of yourself. If you’re a talker, no worries, after processing you can have a full session to discuss what you processed, though, no one has taken Audrey up on this offer so far.
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It depends on if you would like to or not. EMDR is very cool and we can actually process a memory that I know very little about. Your story is yours and if you wish to share it with Audrey she is happy to listen, if not, that’s okay too. However, often this will need to be after processing.
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A typical session is a normal therapeutic hour. However, how many sessions that this takes is very dependent on trauma level and what you are looking for. This can vary widely from a single incident trauma which could be as few as 10 sessions to complex trauma which could take 2 years to process.
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No, it is not physically painful, however, it can be intense emotionally. It is a form of exposure therapy and can have minor side effects. However, the most uncomfortable being nausea or panic.
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Yes, EMDR has been found effective for anxiety. In addition with DBT the combination is very helpful for anxiety as you can change the underlying negative beliefs. EMDR also works in fewer sessions than typical anxiety symptoms.
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The short answer is no. EMDR is not a miracle or a quick fix. EMDR does not work for everyone. However, with some tweaks Audrey has found that EMDR is effective for most people even with dissociation or other issues that come up. Even if you have previously had a bad experience with EMDR a lot of it has to do with the therapist and how it was set up.
EMDR Therapy in Longwood, FL
Ready to Get Started?
Please reach out if you are interested in learning more.
Contact Me to Secure your Spot
Interested in working together? Please send an email at audrey@willowtherapyframework.comor give me a call (407)-429-5660.
