EMDR Therapy
“Trauma is hell on earth.
Trauma resolved is a gift from the gods.”
-Peter A. Levine
Feeling Caught in a Loop of Stress and Hurt?
But the beauty lies in this truth: there is a way forward. EMDR might be just the supportive approach you’ve been looking for on your journey back to wholeness.
Could EMDR Chart Your Course Forward?
EMDR has brought peace and transformation to countless people struggling with trauma and anxiety. EMDR is like holding a powerful key that helps unlock memories and experiences that might be holding you back. Through EMDR, you’ll have the opportunity to reprocess these moments in a safe, structured environment – not to “get rid of” them, but to transform how they affect you.
EMDR works with your mind’s natural healing ability. It helps you integrate important lessons from your experiences while releasing the emotional weight they carry. This process allows you to move forward with greater ease, strength, and connection to your inner wisdom. It helps to reconnectt you with the wholeness that’s always been within you.
So, can EMDR help you?
I believe it can. But I also know that every person’s journey is unique, and what works for one person might not work for another. What I can promise is that EMDR has the potential to be a powerful tool on your path to healing. And I’m here to explore and discover what works best for you.
What Is EMDR Therapy?
At its essence, EMDR therapy acknowledges that the impact of trauma can persist in our minds, influencing our daily lives, behaviors, and emotional well-being long after the events have occurred. Through a structured eight-phase process, EMDR involves recalling distressing images while receiving various forms of bilateral sensory input, such as side-to-side eye movements or gentle tapping.
Since its inception in the late 80s by Francine Shapiro, EMDR has gained recognition as an effective treatment for PTSD and anxiety. This method leverages the innate healing capacities of your brain, assisting it in reprocessing these memories to alleviate their lingering effects. Rather than feeling trapped in the cycle of reliving trauma, EMDR encourages a shift towards viewing memories with greater detachment, freeing them from the intense emotions once attached.
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At its heart, EMDR works beyond just easing symptoms tied to traumatic memories – it creates deep emotional healing that empowers you to embrace a more present, connected, and fulfilling life.
Benefits of EMDR Therapy
EMDR therapy helps heal a wide spectrum of emotional challenges, including trauma/PTSD, anxiety, depression, attachment difficulties, and the negative self-beliefs that can undermine your sense of worth. This approach is particularly effective for processing significant life experiences and intense traumatic life events, such as:
- Childhood physical abuse and/or neglect
- Sexual assault, abuse or rape
- Death of a loved one or a pet
- Military combat experience
- Serious health issues or near-death experiences
- Vehicle accidents
- Witnessing or experiencing domestic abuse
- Experiencing an unexpected incident where there was harm/fear of harm to self or loved one
EMDR can also improve emotional resources and build greater confidence and self-esteem.
Preparing for a future event? EMDR is effective, helping you experience a positive result and “live into” the sense of success.
EMDR, Trauma & The Brain
Many emotional challenges and disturbing experiences result from unprocessed trauma memories that are stored in the brain. EMDR therapy helps your brain to access and reprocess these traumatic memories, which sets in motion your natural healing processes.
Experiencing trauma prompts your brain to protect you by storing information and sending warning signals when reminders of the trauma arise. These signals aim to prevent re-experiencing the trauma by creating a defense against any perceived threat. It’s like you are always on guard for something bad to happen.
You may find you are always feeling tense or on edge, feeling unsafe in apparently safe situations. You may find yourself feeling irritable or forgetful. Or you may be reliving painful memories through nightmares and/or flashbacks.
Over time, these symptoms appear as “normal” to the brain, which sets these responses as a pattern in your mind-body system.
This can get exhausting!
EMDR therapy helps your brain to reconnect with the original event in order to better understand, process, and repair the original trauma.
Once you properly process the memories, your brain can then turn off the danger signals and move forward from being stuck in the past.
Liberated from the brain’s danger alarm, you find relief, no longer haunted by the past, paving the way for self-determined living.
What to Expect from EMDR Therapy
Before beginning, we will ensure that you can connect to positive, affirming resources and prepare you for the session ahead of time so that you feel fully supported and ready.
We will then dedicate a full session or multiple EMDR sessions to address the memory or issue that we identified as the focus. A session typically lasts between 50-90 minutes. I will guide you along the way as we navigate the memory, utilizing “bilateral stimulation” through eye movements, sounds, or taps.
I will also guide you in noticing what comes up as you experience the memory, images, feelings, or beliefs regarding the event. The sets of eye movements, sounds, or taps are repeated until the memeory becomes less disturbing.
You always have a voice and can stop at any point if needed. Prior to ending the session, we will do a body scan or other self-check-in to ensure you feel centered and ready to step into the world.
You can also check out my blog on EMDR or the EMDR butterfly hug resources below.
Q & A
How do I know if EMDR is right for me?
EMDR is a great fit if you’re struggling with trauma, anxiety, or stuck memories. We’ll discuss your specific situation and determine if EMDR aligns with your goals.
What happens during an EMDR session?
We’ll work together to identify targets, develop a coping plan, and then engage in bilateral stimulation (eye movements, tapping, or sound) while focusing on the traumatic memory.
Will I relive the trauma during EMDR?
No, EMDR is designed to help you process memories without reliving them. You’ll be in control throughout the process.
How many EMDR sessions are needed?
It varies depending on your specific situation and progress. We’ll work together to determine the best course of treatment.
Is EMDR safe?
Absolutely! EMDR is a research-backed approach that prioritizes your safety and well-being.
Can I use EMDR for performance enhancement or confidence building?
Yes! EMDR can help you reprocess limiting beliefs and unlock your potential.
To learn more about EMDR, you can read my blog on EMDR vs Brainspotting and/or book a free consult now. You can also check out the resources below.
“Luna is one of those people who brings with her a sense of calm, understanding, confidence, and professionalism that is rare to see all in one person. It takes only moments to recognize these qualities and appreciate how that translates to her care for all aspects of the work that she does.”
– CL, Oakland, California