What is EMDR Therapy?

Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) therapy is an integrative psychotherapy approach that has been extensively researched and proven effective for the treatment of trauma. EMDR is a set of standardized protocols that incorporates elements from different treatment approaches.

How does EMDR work?

EMDR therapy is an integrative psychotherapy and uses a technique called bilateral stimulation to repeatedly activate opposite sides of the brain. Therapists often use eye movements to facilitate the bilateral stimulation. These eye movements mimic the period of sleep referred to as rapid eye movement or REM sleep, and this portion of sleep is frequently considered to be the time when the mind processes the recent events in the person’s life.

EMDR seems to help the brain reprocess the trapped memories is such a way that normal information processing is resumed. Therapists often use EMDR to help clients uncover and process beliefs that developed as the result of relational traumas, or childhood abuse and/or neglect. For a more detailed explanation please visit EMDR Institute, Inc.

What does EMDR help?

Do you experience distressing emotions that appear to you, and perhaps to others, to be excessive given the current situation? Do you tend to be highly reactive to certain triggers? Is there one or more dysfunctional belief that you believe about yourself that on an intellectual level you know is not true? EMDR was originally established as a treatment for PTSD, but since has been proven helpful for a variety of mental health diagnoses, stressors, and for overall self-improvement.

Video Links:

• Introduction to EMDR Therapy
• EMDR and PTSD
• How Childhood Trauma Affects Health Across a Lifetime: TED Talk by Dr. Nadine Burke Harris

EMDR Intensives

EMDR Intensives are an intense yet deeply healing way to resolve past trauma and challenges in the most efficient and quick format possible. EMDR Intensives are scheduled in half-day (3 hours) and full-day (6 hours) sessions. During this time you will learn soothing mindfulness and coping skills, understand the root of current struggles, and spend concentrated and focused time reprocessing the identified topic to a point that no longer causes any distress, and may even be viewed from a place of personal strength. You may only need a few intensive sessions to feel relief and leave traumatic events in the past where they belong.

Half-day intensives are $675 and full-day intensives are $1,350. Insurance may cover up to one hour of intensive sessions if we are in-network with your plan and therapy is a covered service with your individual plan.

EMDR Intensives may be a good option for you if:

• You generally feel good, have strong relationships, feel content, except for that ONE THING that occasionally rears its ugly head and can feel overwhelming, even crippling, when triggered.
• You have a specific event/memory that is causing you pain and would like to take care of it as quickly and efficiently as possible
• You have a busy schedule that makes weekly therapy appointments difficult to accommodate
• You have been working in traditional talk therapy for awhile and want to supplement the work you have already been doing with a deeper trauma reprocessing experience
• You want to make some major movement toward your goals and feeling relief
• You are already working with an individual therapist and seem to have hit a road block in your healing. I am happy to collaborate with your individual therapist to utilize an EMDR Intensive to help you overcome the road block and return to your weekly therapist.

Benefits of EMDR Intensives:

• You can find deep healing in a shorter amount of time taking weeks, months, even years off your therapy journey
• Cost effective – EMDR intensives achieve more in a shorter amount of time, drastically reducing your time and money spent in weekly therapy sessions
• No more weekly appointments to schedule your life and job around. Spend more time enjoying your life without the pain that has been lingering in the background for so long.
• No waitlists! Because intensives are scheduled outside of my normal weekly therapy appointment slots (generally on Mondays, evenings, and possibly some weekends), I can schedule you fairly quickly.

Important FYIs Regarding EMDR Intensives:

• Client can attend EMDR Intensives in-person in Flower Mound, TX or virtually if in the states of Texas or Oklahoma.
• 50% of Intensive session fee is due at time of booking service with remaining balance due on day of session.
• You may need more than one intensive session to reach your goals and successfully reprocess past events. You and your therapist will work together on your treatment plan and your therapist will provide an estimation of what your treatment plan may look like.
• Before your scheduled Intensive session, you will need to schedule an intake session (one hour) in order to go over your goals and work on your treatment plan. This intake session costs $225 and is billable to your insurance if we are in-network with your plan.
• Intensive sessions will include plenty of time to take breaks as needed. Full-day intensives will pause for meal break as well.
• EMDR Intensives are days of deep healing and intense work. Please plan to be extra kind to yourself in the days leading up to and following your intensive session. This is the time to spend with nature, exercise, get a massage, drink tons of water, be with people who lift you up, or anything else that feels nurturing to you.

Contact me today for a free phone consultation to see if EMDR Intensives might help you release what no longer serves you.