EMDR Therapy – Counselors and Therapists in Colorado Springs, CO
The counselors at Colorado Springs Thriveworks know that it can feel like there is no winning a battle with mental illness, especially when you walk away from your counselor’s office day after day, week after week, maybe even year after year. It is an arduous struggle that reflects the true strength of human nature. And it can be won.
EMDR is a rather psychotherapy technique that can speed up the process of therapy and unlock healing that was buried too deep in mental illness to get to. It can harness the power of neuroplasticity, the power to heal the brain, and bring control back into your life. If you are interested in exploring the benefits of EMDR therapy, reach out to Thriveworks Colorado Springs today to schedule an appointment.
What Is EMDR?
EMDR stands for eye movement desensitization and reprocessing. It was originally used to unlock traumatic memories that haven’t been processed by the brain due to their traumatic nature.
The brain wants to protect itself, and it doesn’t want to relive past abuses. However, without processing through those memories, mental illness like PTSD, depression and anxiety can take root. Colorado Springs Thriveworks believes it is important to not ignore past traumas, but to work through them, and that can be very difficult when your brain wants to keep them hidden.
Processing memories is what occurs during the most important cycle of sleep- REM sleep. REM stands for rapid eye movement, and it is the stage where the eyes dart rapidly from left to right. EMDR seeks to recreate the healing stage of sleep. Some therapists will literally have you follow their finger as they move it from the right side to the left side of your vision. Others will tap your left leg followed by your right leg, or have you listen to sequential left-right beeping.
EMDR is a tool, but all tools need to be used carefully and with a purpose. The goal of EMDR is to unlock a painful memory or scenario where you feel a lack of control and then insert control into the memory or scenario. (The nerd term is ‘Positive Cognition”.)
Who Can Benefit from EMDR?
Although originally used to treat traumas, EMDR can be used to treat many mental illnesses. Some examples include:
- PTSD
- Depression
- Dissociative disorders (or if one of your symptoms is frequent dissociation)
- Eating disorders
- Pain disorders
- Social anxiety
- Specific phobias
- Personality disorders
- Many, many more!
If you struggle with distressing situations or memories, such as impulses to binge eat, or intense fear of driving- then EMDR may work for you. EMDR is also very helpful for clients who frequently dissociate in a regular talk therapy session.
Scheduling EMDR Therapy at Thriveworks Colorado Springs
EMDR is not magic, it can’t suddenly make all your struggles go away, but it can be a very useful tool in the healing process.
It is best used in conjunction with talk therapy. Although it can speed up the healing process, it will still take longer than one session. Most people complete EMDR therapy after 5-15 sessions, however, it is very subjective upon personal psych and the severity of trauma or scenario.
Thriveworks Colorado Springs is here to help you through your battle in anyway we can. If you think EMDR will work for you, call us to set up an appointment today. We have no waitlist and a provider could meet with you as soon as this week. Plus, we offer evening and weekend sessions, and we accept most major insurances.
We’re excited to walk with you through this healing! Call us today if you’d like to schedule: 719-266-3919
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