Equinox Counseling & Consulting, LLC
Specialized mental health care for first responders, medical professionals, and survivors of trauma
EMDR
Trauma doesn't always look like one catastrophic event. For many it is the cumulative weight of years of exposure - including witnessing tragedies, responding to emergencies, and carrying experiences most people never see. EMDR, or Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing, is a type of therapy that can help your brain process those memories so they no longer have the same emotional intensity.
What is EMDR?
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) is an evidence-based psychotherapy that helps people heal from traumatic or distressing experiences.
When something overwhelming happens, the brain may not fully process the experience, causing memories, emotions, physical sensations, or negative beliefs to remain "stuck." These unprocessed memories can continue to affect how you feel, think, and respond long after the event has passed. "Stuck" memories can be triggered by people, places, sounds, smells, and, sometimes, by nothing at all.
EMDR helps your brain reprocess these experiences so they are stored in a healthier, more adaptive way. Rather than erasing memories, EMDR reduces the emotional intensity associated with them, allowing you to remember what happened without feeling as though you're reliving it.
EMDR therapy addresses past experiences that continue to impact you, current situations that trigger distress, and helps build the skills and resilience needed to face future challenges with greater confidence.
FAQ
What can EMDR help with?
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While EMDR was originally developed to help with PTSD, it can do so much more! EMDR can help address many of these issues: replaying work calls/cases, avoiding certain locations, nightmares, irritability, emotional numbness, hypervigilance, feeling disconnected from family/friends, guilt, and more.
Why does EMDR work so well for first responders?
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EMDR is different than traditional talk therapy. Traditional therapy uses conversation and coping strategies to process emotions and gain new insights. Whereas, EMDR helps the brain reprocess traumatic memories without requiring detailed verbal recounting.
Is EMDR only for people with PTSD?
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Nope! While EMDR was originally developed to treat Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), it has also been shown to be effective for many other concerns, including anxiety, depression, grief, panic, and the lasting effects of stressful life experiences.
Do I have to talk about every traumatic event?
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Absolutely not. There is even an EMDR technique called "The Blind Therapist", during which clients share minimal information while processing.
How does EMDR work through telehealth?
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EMDR utilizes a technique called Bilateral Stimulation, or BLS, to help process trauma responses. There are multiple methods of BLS that can be used via telehealth, all of which are equally as effective to in person methods. EMDR focuses on building a sense of safety, thus results may be even stronger when the client is at home because this is already a secure space compared to an office building.
Who can administer EMDR?
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EMDR is a specialized treatment provided by trained therapists. There are several EMDR based techniques that have been adapted for supporting roles, such as Acute Stress Adaptive Protocol (ASAP) for peer support team members. However, EMDR should only be practiced by a provider who has completed EMDRIA approved trainings. Note: At Equinox, we have!