FAQs

What is EMDR?

Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR)
When we experience something stressful we can’t always process all of it and then file it into our narrative using our system’s normal process (sleep) so it sticks around for longer than we would like it to. Some experiences are just too big to process during one sleep cycle. EMDR is a way of re-filing memories that got stored the wrong way immediately following a traumatic event. In EMDR we take out those memories that were incorrectly filed, we re-process them, and we put them back away. EMDR uses bilateral stimulation (anything that crosses the midline or your body) to help you to process memories, just like your body does while you’re in Rapid Eye Movement (REM) sleep. EMDR is an evidence-based type of psychotherapy that has been proven to be effective in the treatment of many challenges, but especially in the treatment of trauma. EMDR helps us to reprocess traumatic memories and allows us to move forward.
See http://www.emdr.com/what-is-emdr/ for more information

What is trauma?

A trauma is something that is deeply disturbing or distressing which happens to us. This encompasses a wide variety of things which makes it difficult to pin down. We know that a Trauma can be a big, discrete events like a car accident, rape or natural disaster. Trauma can also be something that is more ongoing like chronic abuse, combat, or bullying. These things are easy to understand as traumas, but there are other things that can negatively impact our mental health like parental divorce, neglect, or hospitalization. This is obviously not a comprehensive list, but hopefully gives a sense of the wide variety of things that can lead us to develop a trauma reaction.

Immediately following a trauma we frequently experience things like denial, shock, and disturbances in sleep. These frequently resolve themselves on their own. There is evidence that early treatment can help prevent the development of PTSD later. Treatment becomes necessary when problems last longer than a few months. Ongoing challenges might include things like difficulty sleeping, nightmares, flashbacks, increased awareness of surroundings, avoidance of things that remind you of the trauma, increased challenges in relationships with others, difficulty concentrating, trouble with memory, and sometimes increased pain or other physical symptoms.

What issues does EMDR help?

There is evidence the EMDR helps many different mental health challenges including, trauma, anxiety, depression, substance use, attachment wounds, and psychosis. I specialize in working with trauma with the understanding that symptoms from other mental health challenges frequently overlap with the symptoms that we typically associate with trauma.

How long does EMDR take?

There is not a clear cut answer for this question. EMDR can work very quickly, in as little as a few sessions. This tends to be the case for discrete (one time) traumas that occur for people who have many resources to rely on. However, for things like ongoing childhood abuse and neglect, or an adult with an unresolved childhood trauma that led to a particular way of managing stress over time healing may take some time. So, the answer to this question is that it frequently depends on the kind of trauma that a person has experienced, and the kind of impact that this is having on their current life.

Does EMDR work for everyone?

Every person has a different way of managing stress. It can be more difficult for people who tend to avoid their feelings to fully engage in the process which can make it more difficult for progress to be made. Once we work through some of the blocking beliefs that many people engage in, EMDR is helpful to most people who use it. It’s also important to note that having a good therapeutic relationship is vital in making progress in any kind of therapy. It is also important to understand that not everyone likes using EMDR and that that is fine. It is important that you find the right fit for you related to treatment modality as well as treatment provider.

What if we don’t click?

That is totally fine. Just like you’re not friends with everyone you meet, you won’t feel connected to every therapist that exists in the world. It would be great if the first therapist you tried is the perfect therapist for you, but that frequently does not happen. So if you feel like we don’t click feel free to let me know. There are many other options to choose from and I would be happy to point you in the direction of another therapist. You are the most important part of your treatment, please don’t settle if it doesn’t feel like a good fit.

How often do we have to meet?

That depends on you. I tend to want to meet with you frequently in the beginning of treatment so that we can build a relationship, but it is important to me that we meet your needs for your treatment. Weekly, every other week, or monthly appointments can all be helpful. Let’s talk about how you are feeling and come up with an action plan together.

Why don’t you bill insurance?

Health insurance companies make it difficult for therapists to work with them. They restrict care by limiting the number of providers in their network, they require that therapists do more work for less than market value, and restrict the people that therapists are allowed to work with. Insurance companies require that people have a diagnosis and that the therapist share private information including diagnoses, symptoms, behaviors, and treatment plans. Insurance companies dictate how many sessions a provider can have with a client based on this information. I do not want my interactions with an insurance company to make me resentful because I am spending large amounts of time and effort doing things that drain me rather than spending my time taking care of myself so that I can be at my best for my clients.

However, it is frequently possible to get reimbursed for therapy using work benefits or by filing out-of-network reimbursements directly with your insurance company. If you would like me to I would be happy to send you a monthly receipt that you can submit to your insurance company directly.

How do we get started?

To schedule a free 15 minute phone consultation or an appointment, call or text me at 508-625-0350 or email me at abi@steppingstonecs.com.