EMDR Therapy in Durham, NC

A Gentle Approach To EMDR Therapy in Durham, NC

Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) is a gentle method of psychotherapy that can help people recover from painful or distressing experiences or beliefs that have not been helped by other therapies. Distressing experiences can include events that most people would consider to be trauma, like sexual assault, a car accident, or other physical injury. It can also help recovery from events that people may minimize the impact of, such as a time you felt embarrassed or ashamed, suffered a loss of any type, or did not feel safe in any way. It can also help with negative beliefs about yourself or the world that are impacting your life. If you’d like to start EMDR therapy in Durham, NC reach out to Acacia Collaborative Psychological Services.

In addition to equipping you with individualized coping skills, EMDR works by moving the memory of the traumatic event from long-term memory to short-term memory and then processing information about the event while using techniques to encourage bi-lateral brain stimulation. Processing the event can be done without disclosing the details of the event to your therapist. This sequence helps the person to process the event while simultaneously feeling safe. This causes the event to lose the emotional charge it has had for you and then the brain’s normal process for recovering from trauma can resume normally. Symptoms previously experienced can then decrease. For example, you may feel less anxious & depressed, feel worthwhile or hopeful, and be able to remember the event without the threat responses it once evoked.

EMDR can be done with children or adults and through in-person or telehealth settings. If you are interested in getting more information about EMDR and see if it might be a good fit for you, you can schedule a quick chat with one of our EMDR providers.

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EMDR Therapy for Releasing Trauma

Most people experience a number of distressing events in their lifetime, and most of those events can be processed normally by the brain without much work. Some events, however, become “stuck” and cause the body to frequently experience threat responses (fight, flight, or freeze). This can cause the brain to work very hard without relief. Symptoms you may experience from an unresolved trauma can include flashbacks, nightmares, sleep disruptions, upsetting images or thoughts, and feelings of powerlessness, fear, or worthlessness. EMDR is a therapy designed to resolve these “stuck” events, decreasing disruptive symptoms, and getting you back engaged in life again.

Getting Started Is Easy

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STEP ONE: CONTACT US

At any point in your decision to pursue therapy or assessment, feel free to contact us with questions. We will gladly talk with you over the phone to determine if one of us will be a good fit. Visit our Contact Page.

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STEP TWO: INTAKE

Once you have scheduled an appointment, you will be emailed forms to complete electronically prior to your first appointment. If we are in-network with your Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, or State Health Plan insurance benefits will be processed.

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STEP THREE: FIRST SESSION

Your first appointment will be 60 minutes. In this first appointment, we will discuss what brought you in, your history, and will develop a “game plan” with you to work toward your goals.

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