EMDR Therapy
in Fort Collins, CO & Chicago, IL
What is EMDR Therapy?
EMDR stands for Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing. EMDR is clinically proven to relieve symptoms of PTSD, Depression, Anxiety, and other expressions of psychological and physical pain.
EMDR therapists are trained in the Adaptive Information Processing (AIP) model, a theory originated and developed by Francine Shapiro, PhD. AIP theory suggests that your brain stores everyday and traumatic memories in different ways. Ordinary memories are organized so they connect to positive and rewarding experiences; joy and pleasure; wisdom; adaptive emotional learning; and inner resources of resilience. According to AIP, presentations of PTSD and Complex PTSD form when traumatic memories are disconnected from these adaptive information networks, disrupting the link between the traumatic experience and the wisdom of healthier memory networks. EMDR allows your brain to engage in its natural healing process and make connections between isolated trauma networks and more resilient ones, thereby diminishing the distress and disruptive symptoms associated with PTSD.
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When to seek EMDR Therapy
Our nervous systems operate under a better safe than sorry principle, meaning they will respond as if we are still experiencing the distress of traumatic moments in order to prioritize our survival. This isn’t a question of willpower or choice, but of biological protocol. When this happens, it can feel like the past is haunting your present, preventing you from doing the things you love or feeling connected to yourself and others.
That is where EMDR therapy can come in. A therapist might recommend EMDR if you are experiencing emotional disturbance, sleep disruption, intrusive images or flashbacks, avoidance of certain things that remind you of the trauma, changes in mood and behavior, or just not feeling like yourself after a difficult experience. You may be experiencing a traumatic reaction to acute (i.e. single incident) trauma or repeated exposures to trauma from childhood. While these healing processes might look different, the EMDR protocol will look similar.
What to expect in EMDR Therapy
When considering whether to seek EMDR treatment, it is important to understand the protocol, what you may experience, and the risks and benefits of this type of therapy. EMDR is an evidence-based treatment that involves utilizing bilateral stimulation (BLS) to reprocess distressing memories, emotions, and sensations. Bilateral stimulation is a physical intervention that activates both hemispheres of the brain utilizing rapid eye movements, tapping, pulsing noises, or a light bar. Your EMDR therapist can explore your preference for BLS methods during EMDR therapy.
EMDR is not the same as traditional talk therapies in that you do not need to have access to the full memory, narrative (i.e. linear) memory, or discuss the memory out loud with your therapist. This can make trauma treatment more accessible for those whose experiences happened early in childhood before verbal narrative memory was possible, those who don’t remember all the details of the event, or if you prefer not to discuss the details of the trauma.
EMDR therapists will take a full history of relevant traumas and experiences that you want to address. They may ask about other experiences such as your family history, mental health history, early childhood experiences, strengths, and preferred methods of self-care and relaxation.
EMDR is also a strengths based approach that utilizes the scaffolding of emotional experiences such as hope, joy, calm, confidence, and other inner resilient emotions and experiences to facilitate your body’s natural healing process. EMDR is considered a somatic therapy, which means it integrates physical sensations and a felt sense of your body’s pain and wisdom during resource creation and reprocessing.
Doing EMDR therapy can come with increased distress, having to remember or feel past pain, remembering traumatic things that happened to you, feeling uncomfortable emotions and sensations, the temporary increased intensity of some PTSD symptoms, and intrusive thoughts and memories. Your EMDR therapist will work with you to support you and share tools that reduce the impact of EMDR on your daily life, so you can experience relief and healing sooner rather than later.
Who can practice EMDR?
EMDR certification is regulated by an organization called EMDRIA. Your EMDR therapist will have completed a structured 50-hour course, composed of 20 hours of didactic instruction, 20 hours of hands-on practice and live demonstration, and 10 hours of case consultation with an EMDRIA-approved consultant. Your EMDR therapist at Little Seed Wellness will have completed all required readings, course material, and consultation in order to receive their certification and may be engaged in ongoing consultation to support their EMDR practice with clients.
Move Forward With Greater Ease
EMDR therapy can help reduce the hold that painful experiences have on your present life while supporting a greater sense of safety, connection, and resilience. If you are wondering whether EMDR may be a good fit for you, Little Seed Wellness is here to help you explore the next step.
Therapists That Can Help
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EMDR Therapy in
Ft Collins, CO
405 Mathews St, Fort Collins, CO 80524
EMDR Therapy in
Chicago, IL
5153 N Clark St #310, Chicago, IL 60640