EMDR Therapy

Experiences from our past play an active role in our present-day reality. One could say they haunt us. This makes sense when we look at how human brains develop (through experiences and in relationships) but that does not change the real effect of the thoughts and emotions that come with remembering them. This remembering may be conscious and intention, like telling a story and noticing that your whole body gets involved, or unconscious and happening to you, like nightmares and flashbacks and weird body sensations when technically everything is fine.

I wish thinking “that happened a long time ago, let it go” worked, but it doesn’t. When the body learns that something scary is possible, it has a hard time letting it go. The intensity of this gets multiplied when we were not able to process the experience with our full brain at the time of impact. What does that mean? That brain scans show us how parts of our brains go offline when we are overwhelmed. Unfortunately, we need these parts online to correctly store the event as over and not ongoing.

EMDR allows us to do just that: reprocess the event with your full brain online so that your body can understand it as over and re-establish safety in the present moment.

What is EMDR?

EMDR (Eye-Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) therapy is an 8-phase trauma treatment modality that utilizes bilateral stimulation to desensitize and support the brain in reprocessing traumatic and overwhelming memories. Click here to learn more about what it is like to experience classic EMDR.

Is EMDR right for you?

  • Any! EMDR has a variety of protocols for different types of trauma and experiences. For example, there are ways to do EMDR for shock trauma (i.e. a car accident) that differs from the protocol for relationship traumas. I’m happy to explain how we may work together depending on the specific experience you are navigating.

  • Yes! EMDR is well-suited for anxiety, phobias, and even helpful with decision making. Any symptom that has a root in a negative experience would be an ideal EMDR target.

  • Thankfully, not at all. We actually work to limit the amount of reliving thanks to a focus on resourcing in the present moment. You not just reliving it is what allows for the memory to be reconsolidated as a different experience. Talking may be limited to, and it is up to you how much of a story you wish to tell me about verbally.

  • While there may be special considerations and alterations made for some clients, I believe everyone can benefit from EMDR and the technique of bilateral stimulation. If you have migraines, we use buzzers. If you experience dissociation, we alter how we work with your body. Please reach out if you have a specific concern about this.

How I Can Help

I am certified in EMDR which means that I have done basic training plus additional training and mentorship. This mentorship gave me space to blend my somatic training with EMDR to bring together the effectiveness of both when working with complex trauma.

I can offer both classic EMDR, with a focus on cognition, or somatic EMDR, with an increased focus on the body and the way that it relives traumatic events.

My Approach to EMDR

Trauma lives in the body. Due to this, I prioritize the impact on the body and how the body wants to reprocess traumatic material. While thinking and talking is a natural part of therapy, we will track your progress through body-based symptoms and your emotional capacity as it shifts through trauma therapy.

EMDR naturally includes the body, as this is necessary for any trauma healing. Somatic EMDR emphasizes the body. I combine two evidence-based approaches to trauma treatment, EMDR and Sensorimotor Psychotherapy, so that we can collaboratively tackle the unique ways your body is handling the impact.

Begin EMDR Therapy for Trauma in Gainesville, FL

Contact me to schedule a consultation and see if we are a good fit. This work is important, and if I am not the right therapist for you I will gladly provide you referrals for other local EMDR therapists I trust.