What is EMDR?      

Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing is a highly recommended treatment for survivors of Trauma who suffer from PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder), and is also used for the treatment of anxiety and depression.  It is a technique that helps move traumatic and life affecting memories and thoughts through the proper channels of the brain to alleviate "gut punch reaction" to them.  Therapist and client sit across from each other, and therapist will use eye movement techniques to help client process information and resolve PTSD symptoms.  It is NOT hypnosis, rather a different technique that uses eye movements. 

 What problems does EMDR treat?

EMDR treats problems that arise from traumatic experiences. Trauma includes major traumas like accidents, rape, abuse, war, witness or victim to violent crime, or natural disasters.  Trauma can also include disturbing life events (or "little traumas") such as childhood moments of rejection, embarrassment, disappointment, or failure.  Whatever issues that arose from the experience of that trauma are more easily and quickly resolved with EMDR.  Such issues include negative self image, negative beliefs about yourself, PTSD symptoms such as flashbacks, nightmares, anxiety, panic, and social/relationship/career problems. The list goes on and on.  These are just a few examples.

 How does it work? 

EMDR works by moving information through the brain.  Trauma memories are often stuck, much like a clog is stuck in a pipe.  EMDR uses eye movements (such as in REM sleep) to help the information move through and unclog the pipe, so to speak.  The eye movements in Rapid Eye Movement Sleep are known to help with memory and other information processing tasks of the brain.  This is how EMDR is believed to work as well. Once the traumatic memories are processed correctly, changes begin to happen in level of anxiety and depression.  EMDR works for individuals who, for their own individual reason, have not been able to process certain traumatic material adaptively.

 How long does it take to work?

EMDR is very cost effective for single traumas because it resolves them much more quickly than traditional talk therapy.  EMDR can begin to do its magic in as little as one session. Most often people need 5-10 sessions to see significant improvement.  If issues are overly complex, or if you've had multiple traumas in your life (such as in the case of incest or sexual abuse in childhood) then EMDR must be used in combination with traditional psychotherapy, and used carefully over a period of time.

 Can my regular therapist do it?

Only if your current therapist has been properly trained by an EMDRIA approved training.  Any therapist that has not is NOT qualified, and could potentially do more harm than good. 

 How much does it cost? 

An EMDR session costs the same as a psychotherapy session.  $125.00-150.00 per hour.

 Has there been any research done on EMDR to prove that it is effective?

Yes, EMDR has been researched exhaustively,  proven to be more effective in the treatment of PTSD than Prozac.  It is recommended for the treatment of single trauma PTSD by the American Psychiatric Association, and by the Department of Veteran's Affairs. Please take your time to look through the body of research that has been done on the efficacy of EMDR here:

 http://www.emdrhap.org/emdr_info/researchandresources.php?PHPSESSID=2170#trials

For more information or to set up an appointment:

310-291-8842

This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it