EMDR Treatment for Trauma Recovery & More

What is EMDR Therapy?

Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing treatment (EMDR treatment) is safe, non-invasive, and proven effective for many mental health conditions. This specialized therapeutic approach addresses traumatic, distressing or bothersome experiences and memories while reducing the strength of associated emotions, body sensations and images.

EMDR was founded by Francine Shapiro in the 1980's, and it has since been credited as an effective form of treatment by several major health organizations, including the American Psychiatric Association, the Department of Defense and the World Health Organization.

With what can EMDR help?

Trauma recovery and trauma therapy
Substance abuse treatment
Overcoming depression
Grief counseling
Anxiety therapy and anxiety counseling
Reducing stress
Increasing self esteem
Reducing or eliminating fears & phobias
Adverse life experiences
Negative beliefs
Many other situations

Learn more about EMDR by downloading our brochure.

EMDR is also effective in reducing distress and building confidence regarding future scenarios and events. This includes preparing for such things as a speaking engagement, taking a major test, or even focusing on one's athletic performance. EMDR is helpful when you want to learn how to manage anxiety.

How does EMDR treatment work?

Your certified EMDR therapist, Tracy Tucker uses alternating bilateral stimulation, through eye movements or hand held tappers (small pulsers that vibrate), to cause one's eyes to mimic what is experienced during REM sleep. It is during this stage of sleep that our brain processes our day. In recreating this while one is awake and present, it engages both the right and left brain and allows access to the area of the brain in which traumatic or distressing memories are stored.

Though EMDR can be emotionally challenging at times, much is done to ensure that your experience during appointments is safe and well managed. While the amount of sessions of EMDR needed varies based on the individual and what is being addressed, the process can take less time than traditional talk therapy.

What does EMDR do?

Once EMDR has reprocessed how trauma is stored in, and impacts, the brain and body, new information is able to be processed and reintegrated more adaptively. Essentially, while experiences are still remembered after EMDR, they aren't re-experienced with the full force of all the images, sensations and emotions previously associated with the memory. In a way, it's comparable to defragmenting a computer or updating its software.

What can I expect during EMDR therapy?

EMDR helps some people recover more quickly than with standard psychotherapy alone. EMDR treatment is also effective for anxiety therapy, PTSD, and depression. The “what-ifs” that keep you from enjoying a healthy, productive life are often successfully managed with EMDR therapy.

When you visit the office for EMDR therapy with Tracy Tucker for the first time, history will be gathered and questions will be answered. It will be determined whether you are a good candidate for treatment, some prep work will be completed, and then you would be ready to begin addressing a target while utilizing bilateral stimulation. Your brain does the work from there.

Tracy will be guiding you through the entire process, with her careful, specialized approach. Be prepared for the likelihood that, throughout the process, blocks will be removed and weights will be lifted that may have come about just recently or may have even plagued you for decades. You deserve this!

Learn more about EMDR by downloading this informational brochure.

Call now to schedule an introduction with Tracy Tucker or Jim Buchholz to integrate EMDR therapy into your healing.

Jim Buchholz
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