EMDR: An Effective Therapy for Trauma
by Deirdre Cosgrove, LMFT | Senior Therapist at A Better LIfe Therapy
When we experience a distressing event that has a negative impact on us, or our sense of wellbeing/safety, that traumatic experience can become ‘stuck’ in a memory network. When it becomes stuck, we can experience that memory in a very real way- it feels as if it is happening to us in the present. It can impact our physical body, our emotions, and our beliefs about ourselves. The experience continues to cause us pain, or make us feel badly about ourselves, or believe that we are not good enough, strong enough, or worthy, when it is triggered.
What is EMDR Therapy?
EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization & Reprocessing) therapy is an integrative, dynamic experiential method of therapy that is based on the belief that your brain has the ability to heal itself. EMDR therapy can benefit anyone who feels like they can’t fully move forward from an event that happened, and gets emotionally overwhelmed by these past experiences. When people have experienced distress in their lives and find they can’t fix it on their own, they turn to EMDR therapy.
Research has shown that EMDR therapy impacts how our body regulates emotions. It creates changes in our breathing patterns and decreases heart rates. EMDR therapy facilitates information processing, similar to what happens in the REM cycle of sleep. Overall, EMDR helps the body to become calmer while processing traumatic events (Maiberger Institute EMDR Training).
Our practice has several therapists trained in EMDR working in person and via Telehealth.
How does EMDR work?
EMDR therapy targets three areas: present, past and future. We start by assessing what is causing you distress in your life today. Then, we see if that is linked to any past events. If so, we work on each of the past events in order. Once all the memories have been processed, we take the new learnings into the future. We work on installing more positive beliefs and learnings to help you feel more empowered to deal with future stressors.
EMDR sessions look and feel differently than traditional talk-therapy. With EMDR, the goal is to hold the past trauma in your focus, while maintaining a sense of connection to the present moment by using something called Bilateral Stimulation (BLS).
EMDR therapy follows a set process that your clinician has been trained in. It is hard to estimate exactly how many sessions you will need, as it is very client-specific. Your clinician will be able to give you an estimate of the length of work after meeting with you to understand how you are doing.
During EMDR Therapy, you will be asked to recall the experience while doing sets of movements called BLS (Bilateral Dual Attention Stimulation).
Examples of BLS include:
eye-movements (following clinician’s fingers as they move hand back and forth, or following image on computer screen)
tapping on knees or arms
tactile pulsers held in the hands
or audible sounds in each ear.
This process activates your brain to continue processing that memory along to a place of usefulness for you. You are in charge of the experience and your brain will work to get to a place of healing. It’s important to know that in EMDR therapy, memories are not erased. They are integrated into your life story in a way that feels useful and promotes healing.
When is EMDR useful?
EMDR therapy has been proven to be useful for many situations one may experience in life. These include, but are not limited to:
Stand alone traumatic incidents, examples include:
car accidents
witnessing an injury
medical procedures
being the victim of a crime
sexual abuse/truama
birth trauma
Specific anxiety, examples include:
fear of flying
phobias
fear of driving,
fear of public speaking
Experiences of loss, examples include:
death of a loved one
betrayal by a partner
life transitions such as divorce
Somatic concerns, examples include:
chronic pain
symptoms of depression and anxiety, including sleep issues and panic attacks
More complex traumas, examples include:
childhood trauma- sexual abuse, emotional abuse/neglect
long held and deep negative views of oneself, such as “I am unlovable, I am damaged, I am a failure,” etc.
How does EMDR help?
EMDR helps by giving you (and therefore your brain) a new experience as you focus on the trauma you have endured in the past. The combination of focus, while doing BLS, activates your brain’s memory network to begin forming new neural connections.
In time, the traumatic experience is able to re-worked in some way that provides healing. It can be put away in your past, without popping up in the present to disrupt you. In time, the event becomes changed in some way that benefits you. You can gain better perspective and understanding. You can become less sensitive to the incident so it won't overwhelm you. You can find strengths within yourself that came from the trauma. EMDR doesn’t remove a trauma from your life story, but it sorts it into the timeline of your life in a more appropriate way.
Can you do EMDR online?
Yes, EMDR can be done in-person and online! Many EMDR practitioners have trained online since the pandemic. This has allowed EMDR therapists to serve more people. The main difference will be the type of BLS that you are able to use. Most people working online find that self-tapping works great. In office, you are more likely to use eye movements while processing.
emdr at a better life therapy
Our practice has several highly trained EMDR therapists who can offer EMDR sessions in the comfort of an office or via Telehealth.
EMDR Therapy in Easton, Pennsylvania
At our Easton, Pennsylvania office Kristelle Mallah, LMFT offers EMDR therapy. Kristelle is also trained to support couples and those who are struggling postpartum. You can read more about Kristelle here.
READ MORE ABOUT EMDR IN EASTON, PA
READ MORE ABOUT OUR EASTON, PA OFFICE
EMDR Therapy in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
At our Center City Philadelphia office, Marta Cofone, LPC offers EMDR therapy. Marta is highly skilled at offering EMDR to those who are struggling with trauma. Marta also has a strong background in substance use and relationship health. You can read more about Marta here.
READ MORE ABOUT EMDR IN PHILADELPHIA, PA
EMDR Therapy Online
Many people prefer to do therapy from the comfort of their homes. Luckily, we know that EMDR also works utilizing Telehealth. Marta Cofone, LPC, Deirdre Cosgrove, LMFT, and Kristelle Mallah offer EMDR utilizing our HIPAA compliant video platform.
READ MORE ABOUT ONLINE EMDR THERAPY
We are able to offer EMDR online to residents of the following states:
New Jersey
New York
Pennsylvania
new jersey emdr therapy
Deirdre Cosgrove, LMFT is licensed in the state of New Jersey to perform EMDR therapy. You can read more about Deirdre here.
New York EMDR Therapy
Kristelle Mallah, LMFT is licensed in the state of New York to perform EMDR therapy. You can read more about Kristelle here.
Pennsylvania EMDR therapy
We currently have three therapists licensed to perform EMDR therapy in the state of Pennsylvania:
To schedule
You can schedule in three ways:
Send us an email to info@abetterlifetherapy.com and our team will get you connected to an EMDR therapist.
Call 267-838-0066 and one of our team members will connect with you to schedule over the phone.
Self schedule by using our online scheduling system to find a date that works best for you.