Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing 
EMDR

Effective Therapy to Work Through & Thrive Beyond Trauma

This extensively researched and proven technique allows our team to partner with people who have experienced trauma to work through a traumatic event and lead satisfying lives. Our bodies and brains are built to keep us safe. Unfortunately, after a traumatic event, the body’s natural responses can be off kilter. People may feel constantly anxious, or they may have difficulty keeping up with their daily routines due to triggers that cause adverse responses. If you are seeking relief following traumatic events, EMDR may be a good option. At Mosaic Clinical Services, we can utilize this therapy technique to help you achieve your goals while maintaining safety and stability. Don’t hesitate to reach out to us to learn more about EMDR therapy or any of our counseling services.

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What is EMDR?

Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) is an evidence-based therapeutic technique that stems from the Adaptive Information Processing (AIP) framework. The AIP therapeutic framework is centered around the basic idea that incomplete processing of traumatic or disturbing experiences impedes a person’s ability to fully move beyond traumatic events. The goal of therapy guided by the AIP framework is to utilize sensations outside the body to help decrease and eliminate the distress associated with a specific traumatic event.

EMDR is a therapeutic technique that utilizes AIP to approach and process an event. EMDR therapy takes a past, present, and future look at a traumatic event - what happened, how is it affecting you know, and how might it impact you in the future? This is widely considered to be the fastest possible therapy option to help those struggling with trauma begin to move forward and lead satisfying lives without feeling controlled by past traumatic experiences.

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Who Should Consider EMDR?

EMDR was originally created to treat those suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and it has proven highly effective in treatment for this diagnosis. However, today, we may recommend EMDR for a wide range of mental and behavioral health disorders, psychiatric diagnoses, and even somatic, addictive, and compulsive behaviors.

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What Happens During EMDR Therapy?

By far the thing that people are most curious about is what actually happens during EMDR therapy. People are often surprised to hear that the process is quite different from traditional talk therapy. We will need to start by establishing specific events and triggers that we want to “activate” in order to begin adjusting your physical responses. During your sessions, we will activate a specific memory. This simply means you will think about a traumatic event or something that triggers memories of or flashbacks to these experiences. As you’re thinking about the traumatic experience, your counselor will ask you to talk about what you’re feeling or experiencing as well as discussing associated emotions and physical sensations. As you’re relating these experiences, you will be directed to follow your therapist’s hand back and forth or hold a small “tapper” that will feel like a cell phone vibrating in your hand. The goal is to help you continue to talk through your experience while centering yourself in the present. Overtime, as you revisit these events, you’ll start to decrease negative emotions associated with the experience, and you should begin to feel in control of your mental and physical responses to the trauma. In short, EMDR allows you to reprocess a traumatic moment in your life, so rather than feeling controlled by these events you can feel empowered to address them and move forward to lead a more satisfying life.

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How do I Get Started with Mosaic Clinical Services?

If you’re ready to schedule an EMDR session or you want to learn more, please contact our team.  One of us will be happy to speak with you about available counseling services and help you determine what your next steps should be.