EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing)
Most well-known for addressing:
- Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
- Anxiety and Panic Disorders
- Depression
- Phobias
- Grief and Loss
- Addiction
- Chronic Pain and Illness
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) is a form of therapy that helps people heal from trauma or other distressing life experiences. It was discovered in 1987 by Dr. Fracine Shapiro and has been extensively researched and proven effective for the treatment of trauma.
EMDR uses bilateral stimulation (fancy terminology for turning the brain on) by either using headphones that click in each ear, buzzers that alternate buzzing in your hands, or a lightbar for your eyes. You will generally use only one of these tools during the session. Your therapist will work with you on finding sense of calmness or safety using these tools or other techniques, which may take a few sessions before deep diving into the topic you want to work on.
EMDR is a structured therapy, using various protocols and phases. Some verbal discussion between the individual and therapist may occur during the processing.
People may respond differently to EMDR while processing, such as feeling lighter or “floaty” while others may feel exhausted and heavy. Some individuals may not feel anything while using the bilateral stimulation. Let your therapist know how you are feeling and how you are responding to the treatment so they can modify their approach to help you, if needed.
Our EMDR trained providers are:
Laura Graham, Amy Brow, Lindley Freeman, Erica Soto, Saul Rodriguez, Rebecca Brandt, Summer Ladd
Brainspotting
- Most well-known for addressing:
- Non-verbal trauma
- Performance Enhancement
- Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
- Anxiety and Panic Disorders
- Depression
- Phobias
- Grief and Loss
Brainspotting is a form of therapy that uses an individual’s visual field (essentially, where they are looking) to access deeper parts of the brain to process memories and information. It uses a “pointer” that the therapist holds to find the “brain spot”. Once the “brain spot” is located, the individual can look away or even close their eyes while they freely process the thoughts and body sensations that they are feeling.
Brainspotting was discovered by Dr. David Grand in 2003 when he was doing EMDR with his clients. He noticed that one of his clients became more emotional while looking in a certain direction and started to research the observation.
Brainspotting does not require much talking or verbal processing with the therapist. It can be flexible and tailored to the individuals needs.
Our trained Brainspotting providers are:
Laura Graham and Penny Haight
Short video about brainspotting: