EMDR Therapy
“My experience can’t be considered trauma, can it?”
Sometimes the word “trauma” is misleading.
It’s common to think, “What happened to me isn’t really a big deal compared to what happened to them.”
But whether it’s a pebble in your shoe, or a boulder on your shoulder, it still doesn’t feel good to live with it there.
What is trauma?
Trauma is simply defined as any adverse experience. These experiences can leave us with distressing emotional and physical reactions to what happened to us.
If you’re coping with trauma, whether it happened yesterday or years ago, Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) therapy can help.
Book a free consultation to see if EMDR therapy can help you.
What is EMDR therapy?
EMDR stands for Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing. EMDR therapy allows clients to resolve painful and traumatic memories and relieve their suffering.
As an EMDR-trained therapist, I guide you through eight phases of EMDR:
Phases 1-2: We begin to build a therapeutic connection and ensure EMDR is right for you. You begin to feel safe and understood. We discuss your history and collaborate on your treatment plan. You learn specific ways to manage emotional disturbances as calmly and comfortably as possible during our sessions.
Phases 3-7: These are the “working” phases of EMDR where the eye movements, desensitization, and reprocessing happens. Through these steps, you will experience the emotionally and physically painful parts of your memories or recent experiences becoming less painful to bear, and you’ll create new, adaptive beliefs.
Phase 8: We begin sessions with a check-in to assess if the recently processed memories are still at a low/no distress level and that the new positive connections are strong. Then we collaborate on future directions in your treatment journey and what you would like to target next.
Why does Flourish Counseling Services offer EMDR therapy?
Helping clients cope with trauma symptoms has shown me that trauma isn’t just in our minds. It’s stored in our bodies, too, which is one reason trauma can often be debilitating.
EMDR therapy is holistic: targeting thoughts, emotions, and physical sensations. My clients report feeling better in mind, body, and soul.
EMDR is brain work, and it’s remarkable! While many clients want and need to talk through their experiences, I find that for just as many, it’s too painful to speak the words.
EMDR works in either case, because our minds are designed to heal. Your brain’s whole job is to protect and safeguard all of you, and it wants to heal all of you. This is why I consider EMDR a kinder, more gentle approach to therapy.
Clients don’t have to talk about the trauma they experienced in detail if they can’t or don’t want to. When activated through EMDR, your brain knows what to do to access healing.
EMDR Therapist in Brevard County
My practice focuses on providing evidence-based, effective therapies to support my clients as they find healing. With that in mind, I’m constantly furthering my skills and expertise in EMDR to bring my clients the best practices in the field.
My specialized education includes:
Postgraduate EMDR training
In-depth training to offer EMDR to children and teens (and even adults!) using play-based approaches and expressive arts
Ongoing studies toward additional EMDR certification, an optional, advanced credential that offers clients an even higher level of specialization
All of my EMDR education is approved by the leading organization in the field, the EMDR International Association (EMDRIA), and offered through EMDRIA-approved consultants. I’m committed to always learning and growing in my field, so I can bring clients the very best tools for healing.
If you or your child are coping with symptoms of trauma, you deserve the chance to feel better. I have the skills and experience to help.
Take the next step to flourishing.
Let my gentle, skilled approach help you heal, grow and flourish. Schedule a free 15-minute consultation to see if we’re a good fit for working together.