Eee-Ehm-Dee…WHAT?!? Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing, or EMDR for short, is a form of therapy created by Dr. Francine Shapiro that has become a leading treatment in helping people work through Trauma and PTSD. Aside from PTSD, EMDR therapy has been reported to have success in the treatment of panic, complicated grief, phobias, pain disorders, performance/social anxiety, sexual/physical abuse, and personality disorders, among other concerns.
Tell me more about it! As a brief overview, EMDR is a 3-pronged approach, with 8 different phases. The goal of EMDR is to help clients process and discard the negative core beliefs and experiences that are causing them distress, while also helping them develop new positive core beliefs and coping mechanisms. When someone experiences something that is traumatic for them, that moment can become “frozen” in memory, including sights, images, smells, and physical sensations. When this trauma is somehow triggered in the present, the client can become overwhelmed by feelings that are just as strong as when it originally happened. Using Eye movements and other forms of Bilateral stimulation, the brain is able to help resolve these frozen blocks in the brain and begin the healing process.
But is it really effective? Yes, EMDR has been shown to help treat issues within fewer sessions than traditional “talk therapy” in many instances. One of the key differences between EMDR and other forms of therapy is that clients are not expected to “retell” their story or trauma in detail, decreasing the likelihood of Re-traumatization. If you’ve been in therapy before and didn’t quite get the peace and resolution you desired, EMDR could be for you!
Belief-Focused EMDR? The type of EMDR that I have been trained in and utilize is mainly belief-focused, targeting Core-beliefs and related events that cause those core beliefs rather than just focusing on a list of targets/traumas. I strongly support this approach and know it can be helpful for you.
For more information about what an EMDR session may be like, check out EMDR International Association’s website at this link: https://emdria.site-ym.com/?120
Please feel free to call or reach out for questions, and to schedule a session/consult if you are near Boca Raton, FL, or the surrounding areas.
Best Regards,
Anthony
About Anthony Naguiat, LMHC, MCAP:
Anthony is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC), Master’s Certified Addictions Professional (MCAP), and EMDR therapist. He is also a Qualified Supervisor for Registered Mental Health Counselor Interns and is currently in private practice in Boca Raton, FL.
His passion is in helping teens and adults find balance and satisfaction in their lives. He specializes in helping people feel calmer, cope with stressors without self-harming/cutting or using substances, work through trauma, increase happiness, explore sexuality or sexual orientation, and improve relationships with others.
His approach to therapy is brief, positively focused, and solution-oriented. Anthony utilizes Dialectical (DBT), Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), and Cognitive-Behavioral (CBT) skills to help clients improve their ability to regulate emotions and work through trauma and other difficult life situations.
As an LGBTQ+ Affirmative therapist, Anthony welcomes you however you identify, Straight or part of the LGBTQ+ community, without judgement. He is genuinely dedicated to helping you, within a safe space.
Anthony is a Board Member of the FL Southeast Chapter of the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP).
For more information, please visit www.NaguiatLMHC.com or call (561) 289-2810 for a free consultation. Also check out www.facebook.com/naguiatlmhc.