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Discounted & Affordable Therapy Options | Learn More About Our Associate Therapists Program >>
Imagine a therapy that can de-sensitize you to traumatic or negative thoughts and feelings. This is how EMDR Therapy works, retraining your brain through Bi-lateral stimulation.
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) uses the natural healing process that occurs during rapid eye movement (REM) sleep, to support healing in the brain from impacts of traumatic events. Francine Shapiro developed this treatment model to address a variety of symptoms that result from trauma and other stressors in our lives.
EMDR has been empirically supported as successful in treating trauma and a variety of other distressing symptoms. Traumatic experiences impact our lives in significant ways; they not only change the way we view and think about the world, but they also alter our actual brain structure and neuro-biological makeup. Research has shown that
EMDR successfully repairs neuro-biological damage and alters brain chemistry and structure. It integrates the mind with the body to create healing experiences for healthier mental and emotional processing.
Research has shown EMDR is an effective and internationally recognized empirically supported treatment for trauma and PTSD. EMDR can also be helpful in treating a variety of other issues including:
• Anxiety/Panic Attacks
• Depression
• Anger
• Grief and Loss
• Relationship Healing
• Self-Esteem
• Stress Management
• Performance Anxiety
• Pain Reduction
• Sleep Problems
• Trauma: (violence/abuse, car accidents, natural disasters etc.)
• Addictions
• And More…
Anyone who logically believes one thing but struggles with an emotional belief they are unable to let go of, can benefit from using EMDR to release you from negative ineffective beliefs about yourself, and re-orient your brain to more effective positive beliefs about yourself and others that align with your purpose and empower you to live the life you were meant to live.
High performers who have lost their confidence in their ability to perform, can get that confidence back with EMDR. Individuals who have not seen results from conventional Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT). EMDR is more than having a “chat,” PET brain scans have shown it facilitates neurobiological repair which rewires your brain to align with your truth.
• First Responders
• Veterans of War and Service
• Emergency Personnel
• Peak Performers
• Business Owners
• Entrepeneurs
• Atheletes
• Students
• People Going Through Life Transitions
• Those Experiencing Grief
• Those who have Experienced Trauma
• Recovering Alcoholics and Addicts
• In a Rut / Finding Motivation
• Motivation to Change
EMDR is a structured model that consists of 8 parts or “phases.” During the initial phases you can expect to engage in traditional talk therapy to gather important historical information in preparation for more targeted treatment.
The therapist will introduce you to various types of Bi-lateral stimulation including, visual, tactile, and auditory and ask you which type is the most comfortable for you. You will be taught a “stop signal” to use as needed in the next sessions, because EMDR is all about giving you control to work through situations in which you may not have had control. The therapist will also create a “safe space,” “container,” or use a similar activity for use in future sessions to help you feel calm and relaxed before you go home after every single session.
In phase 3 the therapist will work with you to identify a memory or belief that you would like to work on and begin preparing you for reprocessing. In phase 4 which is reprocessing, the therapist will administer your chosen type of bi-lateral stimulation to activate your pre-frontal cortex, and allow you to freely “float back” through the chosen memory. During this part of treatment, the therapist will remain mostly silent, and guide you as needed through your personal healing.
Once a memory is ”cleared” phase 5 begins, which is the Installation phase that serves to replace the newly cleared negative memory and beliefs with more positive beliefs about yourself that you have chosen. Phase 6 allows the therapist to check in with your mind and body through a “body scan” to make sure there are no lingering sensations tied to the old memory. Phase 7 is the closure phase during which the therapist will return you to your “safe space,” “container” or other relaxation activity and close out the session. At the start of every session the therapist will use Phase 8 to ask you about anything you have learned about the chosen “target” or memory outside of session to bridge sessions and build upon what you are learning.
What Happens When You Are Traumatized? Most of the time your body routinely manages new information and experiences without you being aware of it. However, when something out of the ordinary occurs and you are traumatized by an overwhelming event (e.g. a car accident) or by being repeatedly subjected to distress (e.g. childhood neglect), your natural coping mechanism can become overloaded.
This overloading can result in disturbing experiences remaining frozen in your brain or being “unprocessed”. Such unprocessed memories and feelings are stored in the limbic system of your brain in a “raw” and emotional form, rather than in a verbal “story” mode.
This limbic system maintains traumatic memories in an isolated memory network that is associated with emotions and physical sensations, and which are disconnected from the brain’s cortex where we use language to store memories
The limbic system’s traumatic memories can be continually triggered when you experience events similar to the difficult experiences you have been through. Often the memory itself is long forgotten, but the painful feelings such as anxiety, panic, anger or despair are continually triggered in the present.
EMDR helps create the connections between your brain’s memory networks, enabling your brain to process the traumatic memory in a very natural way.
Interested in Starting EMDR Therapy in Arizona? Located in Mesa, Arizona, the Arizona Relationship Institute offers several options for those who are looking to start or continue their journey with EMDR therapy. We offer teletherapy options for our Arizona residents of Tucson, Flagstaff and rural areas of Arizona to engage in therapy.
Many call us looking for EMDR therapy in Northern Arizona, Southern Arizona and outside of the Phoenix Metropolitan area. We offer teletherapy sessions online on your computer and from the comfort of your own home. Contact us to learn more about how to get started with Teletherapy for EMDR, CBT and other therapy types.
If you are suffering from increased anxiety and depression, therapy is the best way to start to tackle those issues. EMDR and other therapies offer you a treatment alternative to medication for depression.
Sunday – CLOSED
Monday – 9:00AM – 8:00PM
Tuesday – 9:00AM – 8:00PM
Wednesday – 10:00AM – 8:00PM
Thursday – 9:00AM – 8:00PM
Friday – 9:00AM – 8:00PM
Saturday – 8:00AM – 5:00PM
