EMDR Therapy in Marietta, Ga

EMDR therapy utilizes the brain to help reduce triggers that have been stuck due to past trauma. When we experience a trauma our brains are unable to process that experience and it is carried with us. In the present when we are triggered we will act as if we are in that unsafe situation again. 

EMDR uses bilateral stimulations (BLS) to help get the brain unstuck. The goal is to desensitize the person to the triggers and help them reprocess the traumatic experience so they are no longer triggered. The goal is so that the trauma is no longer triggering in everyday experiences. The goal isn’t that you forget or don’t have emotion around it, but more about helping you function and feel less overwhelmed. EMDR is not hypnotherapy and you will still have control to stop at any time in the process. It is such a different way to approaching trauma which may feel different that traditional talk therapy but for some it can have long lasting positive effects.

Sometimes doing EMDR can be overwhelming and spreading it out over time can be too much for some people. Trying to even schedule an appointment or go often enough can be a challenge with how busy life is. EMDR intensives are a way to get most, if not all, of your processing in during one to two days. They can often be scheduled on the weekend as well. 

Usually you will meet with your counselor for one to two sessions before the intensive is scheduled for the first phase of planning and assessment for EMDR. Then the bulk of the processing phase is conducted during the scheduled intensive. Each session during an intensive is 90 minutes long and you can have two to four sessions per day of intensive. There is a break between each session and a lunch schedule in the middle. You get to work with your counselor on how many sessions you will need and how many intensive days you might need. Reach out for more information about an intensive and the details of beginning an intensive today!

There are several phases to EMDR. First, your counselor will want to assess your trigger areas and provide resources before you enter the processing stage of EMDR. This preparation and assessment phase is anywhere from 2-5 sessions depending on what areas you are wanting to address with EMDR. Next, is the processing phase. This involves doing BLS in any form you are comfortable with and reprocessing the areas of trauma you have both decided on in the first few sessions. Processing sessions can be either 45 minutes or 60 minutes in length and focus on one triggering event around positive and negative beliefs that were planned in the beginning stage. The processing phase can be a few sessions to several months depending on how extensive your trauma is. 

At the end of EMDR we make sure there are no other areas that are needed to process before discharging from counseling. The goal is that you won’t need to return to EMDR so we want to make sure to process all that needs processing.

EMDR therapy is a highly effective and evidenced based therapy. It has had numerous studies done to show that if can provide relief. EMDRIA (EMDR International Association) regulates the use of EMDR for therapists. They have tons of information and resources on their website https://www.emdria.org/.