ONLINE & IN-PERSON THERAPY IN SANTA CLARITA, CA

EMDR Therapy for Trauma/PTSD

 

Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) Therapy

What is EMDR?

EMDR is an acronym standing for Eye-Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing.

  • It is an 8-phase treatment approach, which includes more than just bilateral stimulation (eye movements, tapping, etc).

  • It is a highly researched, evidence-based treatment model that shows to be effective for trauma/PTSD, anxiety, depression, and many other mental health issues.

  • EMDR uses the brain’s natural processing system, similar to what happens during REM (Rapid Eye Movement) sleep. EMDR is not hypnosis, but rather an organic process where you are fully conscious and aware throughout treatment. Your own brain will be doing the healing.

  • It is NOT always a quick fix. EMDR is known to be efficient and effective. This can be the case for single-event traumas; however, the treatment often does take time. I will always thoroughly assess your background and trauma history, and ensure that you have adequate resources before we dive in to process trauma. This can take time. Depending on your situation, we may spend as much time developing your resources and distress management tools as we do reprocessing trauma.

EMDR is different than other types of mental health treatment in that it utilizes the brain's natural healing capabilities. The premise of EMDR is based on the belief that our minds have a natural inclination towards healing from difficult life events, just like our bodies have natural healing processes to heal from physical injuries.

Most of the time, our brains are able to heal from distressing events without much trouble. However, if we go through something extremely distressing, our systems become overwhelmed, we get stuck, and our brains are unable to store the memory of the event in a healthy way. A lot of our mental health struggles occur from being “stuck” when our brain's information processing system becomes too overwhelmed to store that memory correctly.

A helpful analogy to how EMDR helps us heal from unprocessed traumas is that of getting a splinter. Getting a splinter can be painful when it is left untreated. And the pain will likely continue so long as the splinter remains inside our skin. The process of removing the splinter can be painful, but once it’s out, our bodies naturally are able to heal from the wound. 

Much like a splinter, our distressing memories can get stuck and “fester,” causing suffering and impairments in our daily functioning. These distressing events can be “Big T traumas,” such a car accidents, abuse, a shooting, etc., but they can also be “Little T traumas,” such as being laughed at in the 3rd grade by your classmates, or having your parents consistently criticize you when you were growing up. 

EMDR allows the mind to activate its natural healing process, and work through traumatic memories that have been stuck. This, in turn, can relieve symptoms that have been caused by these traumas. The brain’s information processing system will naturally move towards healing and improved mental health thereafter. Experiencing a traumatic or distressing event(s) can be extremely disruptive and painful, but there is hope for relief.

You want to stop letting painful past events rule your life. You are tired of thoughts about the past popping into your head and consuming your mind. You want to feel calmer and more in control of your life. I can help you find the relief that you so desperately want.

 

HOW I USE EMDR

EMDR is a very structured type of treatment, and there is a very specific protocol. I have found that some EMDR clinicians stick to the protocol strictly, and others can be more lax with the protocol.

I believe there is great importance in following the protocol, without being too rigid, because this is what the research supports. If a clinician is too lax with following protocol, they run the risk of harming or re-traumatizing their clients by beginning the reprocessing phase prior to when the client is ready.

I will always begin EMDR with a proper assessment, and will continue my assessments throughout the course of therapy. I will tailor how much time we spend in each phase based on your specific needs.

We will bulk up your adaptive resources and positive coping skills to help you deal more effectively with any triggers or distress that may come up in therapy and in your daily life.

Once you are equipped with the necessary tools, we will begin the reprocessing phase (which is likely what you think of when you hear about EMDR) where we will work through past distressing and traumatic memories until your distress is drastically reduced or eliminated.

Lastly, we will work on present and future planning until your treatment goals are met.

EMDR Therapy can help you:

  • Learn helpful tools to manage distress and triggers caused by trauma

  • Process past traumatic or distressing events that are currently interfering with your functioning

  • Reduce or eliminate intrusive thoughts, excessive fear, and nightmares

  • Improve your relationships

  • Increase overall confidence and feelings of security

  • Drastically reduce or eliminate overall distress

“The goal of EMDR treatment is to rapidly metabolize the dysfunctional residue from the past and transform it into something useful.”

-Francine Shapiro

FAQS

Common questions about trauma therapy

  • EMDR is very structured. There are 8 phases of treatment and what we do in each phase will look different. In the beginning, I will spend time assessing and gathering information.

    We will also spend time learning various distress management techniques and building resources to help you manage distress more effectively.

    After you are well-equipped to begin reprocessing, we will use bilateral stimulation (eye movements, tapping) to reprocess the traumatic or distressing events that are negatively impacting your life.

    There still is room for some flexibility in sessions; however, sessions are much more structured than standard talk therapy.

  • This is so difficult to predict. EMDR has a reputation for being a very quick treatment, and while this can be true for some clients, it is common for it to take time.

    Some factors that impact length of treatment include your current coping skills and distress management techniques, as well as whether you’re seeking therapy for one individual trauma or for complex trauma.

  • Click the button above to schedule a free 15-minute, no obligation consultation. During this consultation, we will discuss why you're looking to start therapy at this time, what you're hoping to achieve, and I will share more information about how I do therapy.

    Together, we will decide if I am a good fit for your needs, and if so, I'll get you scheduled for an intake session. If not, no worries! I can help provide some referrals for other therapists that might be a better fit for your needs.