EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization & Reprocessing) addresses the psychological & physical symptoms stemming from adverse life experiences. EMDR is not just for trauma; it is also used for performance enhancement & other symptoms.
Traumatic experiences are so scary & stressful that they overwhelm the brain & body of the survivor(s). This overwhelm prevents traumatic memories from being stored in the same way regular memories are stored - leading to fragmented memories/experiences. This fragmentation causes the sense of disorganized memories & details - leading to maladaptive responses, distressing symptoms, feelings of hopelessness, & more when associations to these traumatic experiences are triggered consciously & subconsciously. EMDR, an evidenced based approach, utilizes a variety of bilateral stimulation (BLS) techniques to calm your nervous system while reprocessing distressing material & develop more adaptive beliefs & responses. Together through the use of EMDR, you & your HSTH therapist will create new neural pathways, enhance positively stored experiences, & reprocess traumatic experiences/distressing events. By doing so, new associations with memories are created, negative symptoms are relieved, severity of triggers decrease, & new adaptive behaviors are established. Unlike other therapy modalities, EMDR does not require you to talk in detail about the distressing experiences & relief, depending on the trauma type, can be seen in fewer therapy sessions compared to other modalities.
Resources to learn about EMDR:
What is EMDR? Learn the basics
What is an actual EMDR session like? Learn the 8 phases of treatment
Introductory video about EMDR
EMDR experts explain the benefits of EMDR
EMDR clients share their stories
An EMDR therapist shares their EMDR experience
“What Should Clients Ask An EMDR Therapist?” Part 1 & Part 2
Research in support of EMDR effectiveness:
Additional Research & frequently asked questions about EMDR.
Adjunctive EMDR:
With Adjunctive EMDR therapy, you can continue to receive treatment from your primary talk therapist while receiving specialized EMDR services by an EMDR trained HSTH clinician. We can utilize a variety of EMDR evidenced based protocols to treat your unique needs. The protocol used will be based on your specific goals, your specific nervous system, & clinical staffings with your ongoing therapist. Types of adjunctive treatment HSTH can provide are listed below:
Group EMDR
This can be done with…
survivors of the same exact traumatic or stressful experience (i.e. friends, colleagues, co-workers, partners, family members, or any group of individuals)
survivors who survived different traumatic or stressful experiences, but the traumas are similar in nature & the participants share similar symptoms
All participants of HSTH Group EMDR will receive a free consultation & pre-screening to ensure the service would be best for them. During the group participants will work together, but individually through the 8 phases of EMDR in a safely contained setting with the oversight of a lead therapist & co-facilitator(s). No one will or will be asked to share their traumatic experiences during the group. Participants will only be invited, but never forced, to share good memories & positive thoughts/experiences. Group EMDR can be done in one 2.5 hour long session or over the course of multiple sessions. It can take place in-person or over telemental health.
Why aren’t participants asked to share their traumatic experiences & symptoms within the EMDR group setting?
Group EMDR is not the traditional support group most people think of when thinking about group therapy. This is a trauma group that allows a group of participants to reprocess a traumatic or stressful experience individually using EMDR, while still receiving mutual support, safe connection, containment & other researched benefits of being in a group therapy setting. This group rule is not meant to shame, but rather to help the facilitators protect the experiences & possible triggers of all group members. Personal sharing of traumatic content is best saved for individual EMDR sessions - where you & your individual therapist can dive deeper more openly & with less restriction.
EMDR Intensives
Intensives are longer EMDR sessions that can be scheduled for 2-5+ hours with breaks as needed. It provides clients with a longer reprocessing time, which allows them to reprocess more content in one sitting. It can also be helpful for clients who’d like more comfort, relaxation, & assistance “dropping in” than a typical 45-60 min session can provide before diving into their past trauma/distressing memories. Learn more about HSTH intensive services & it benefits here.