GOOD THERAPY

Discover Peace of Mind with EMDR Treatment

EMDR therapy includes eight phases of treatment

History taking and treatment planning:
The therapist and client discuss the client's history, current symptoms, and treatment goals. The client talks about any distressing experiences or memories they wish to target during the treatment. They are also asked to describe the levels of stress related to each memory. This helps your therapist develop a treatment plan that addresses these specific memories.
Preparation:
In the preparation stage, your therapist will teach you stress management techniques like deep breathing, visualization, and muscle relaxation. You will use these techniques throughout the therapy process and between sessions.
Assessment:
In this stage, you are asked to recall the specific memory that you want to target. You will also be asked to identify any unpleasant feelings, body sensations, visual images, and beliefs you may about yourself that are associated with the memory. Your therapist will then ask you to think of a positive belief that you would prefer to have about yourself. This is important for a later stage.
Desensitization:
Desensitization focuses on weakening the relationship between a traumatic memory and the negative feelings, sensations, and thoughts it causes you. This is where bilateral stimulation comes in. While you recall the memory, your therapist will guide you through bilateral stimulation sets which include eye movements, auditory tones, blinking lights, or tapping. You will also be asked to identify any thoughts, images, and physical sensations that occur during this process. This is repeated until the traumatic thought no longer causes you distress.
Installation:
In this stage, your therapist will ask you to focus on the positive belief that you identified in the assessment stage. You will be guided through more bilateral stimulation sets to replace the unwanted belief with this positive belief.
Body scan:
You’ll be asked to identify any physical symptoms while recalling the traumatic memory and the positive belief. This is done in order to gauge how well the treatment worked. If there is any leftover distress, your therapist will lead you through another round of bilateral stimulation.
Closure:
This stage marks the end of the EMDR session. Your therapist will discuss your progress and teach you how to maintain it. They might give you homework and teach you relaxation techniques to manage residual distress.
Reevaluation:
Reevaluation happens at the beginning of every session where your therapist reviews your progress. You will be asked about your level of progress related to the targeted memories. If the memory still causes you distress, your therapist will re-address them with EMDR. If not, you can move on to other memories you would like to address.

Discover Peace of Mind with EMDR Treatment

Have you done traditional talk therapy but still feel stuck? Are you still experiencing disturbing symptoms of anxiety, low mood, insomnia, avoidance, negative self talk, or self blame? Does the past become present quickly when you feel triggered by something today? Work with a trained EMDR therapist for faster relief of your symptoms.

Sherri is a trained EMDRIA therapist who integrates EMDR into your individual therapy sessions in order to relieve symptoms of trauma and post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

Schedule A FREE Consultation Now

GOOD THERAPY

Sherri Dowsett Family Counselling, Individual, Couple, & Family Counselling

What is EMDR?

Discover Peace of Mind with EMDR Treatment

Discover Peace of Mind with EMDR Treatment

GOOD THERAPY

Sherri Dowsett Family Counselling, Individual, Couple, & Family Counselling

What is EMDR?

Discover Peace of Mind with EMDR Treatment

Discover Peace of Mind with EMDR Treatment

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