Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR)

EMDR Screening Questions

EMDR Screening Questions:

• Have you experienced an event that overwhelmed you, left you feeling confused, worrisome, frustrated, etc.?

• Has an experience impacted your sleep, peer interactions or daily living?

• Are you able to find moments of joy as easily as you did prior to experiencing this life event?

• Has your child experienced worry to the point of losing sleep? Are they having difficulties with self-regulation and staying calm?

• Has your child lost interest in hobbies/activities that once excited them?

• Have you or your child ever felt frozen with fear and unable to move?

• Do you have times where you cannot control your emotions and do not understand why?

What conditions can EMDR treat?

• Stress Reduction

• Panic Attacks

• Performance Anxiety

• Addiction

• Complicated Grief

• Dissociative Disorders

• Disturbing Memories

• Phobias

• Pain Disorders

• Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)

• Sexual and/or Physical Abuse

• Body Dysmorphic Disorders

Why choose EMDR?

• The American Psychiatric Association, the American Psychological Association, the International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies, National Alliance on Mental Illness, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, the U.K. National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, the US Dept. of Veterans Affairs/Dept. of Defense, The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews and the World Health Organization among many other national and international organizations recognize EMDR therapy as an effective treatment.

• EMDR is designed to resolve unprocessed traumatic memories in the brain. For many clients, EMDR can be completed in fewer sessions that other psychotherapies.

Treatment Outline

• EMDR uses eye movements, similar to what occurs naturally during dreaming of REM (rapid eye movement) sleep, to help the brain digest distressing memories and allow them to be stored in a calmed form, properly relegated to the past.

• Think of it as a reorganized library of memories within your brain — a rewritten story that concludes with a positive feeling and a stronger sense of self-esteem.

• EMDR does not have a time limit for treatment. Treatment is successfully completed when the client identifies zero level of disturbance regarding their life experiences.

• EMDR can be completed in-person and/or virtually.

• After the therapist and client agree that EMDR therapy is a good fit, the client will work through the eight phases of EMDR therapy with their therapist.

• Attention will be given to a negative image, belief, emotion and body sensation related to this event, and then to a positive belief that would indicate the issue was resolved.

• A typical EMDR therapy session lasts from 60-90 minutes. EMDR therapy may be used within a standard talking therapy, as an adjunctive therapy with a separate therapist, or as a treatment all by itself.