EMDR Therapy in North Carolina
EMDR Therapy in North Carolina for adults experiencing trauma, PTSD, anxiety, depression, grief, and distressing life experiences. Evidence-based treatment helps with reducing trauma-related symptoms, processing painful memories, and improving emotional regulation and overall well-being.
EMDR Therapy in North Carolina
Quick Facts
Who This Therapy Is For
EMDR therapy supports children, teens, and adults dealing with trauma, anxiety, depression, or emotional distress linked to past experiences such as abuse, loss, or accidents.
Conditions / Issues Treated
Trauma, PTSD, anxiety, depression, grief, intrusive memories, nightmares, emotional overwhelm, and negative self-beliefs.
Modalities Offered
EMDR, trauma-informed therapy, coping skills work, and integrative, client-centered approaches using bi-lateral stimulation.
Session Types and Lengths
Sessions are typically 60 minutes and offered weekly, with both in-person and telehealth options available.
Insurance, Telehealth, and Location Info
Insurance includes Aetna and Blue Cross Blue Shield, with telehealth across North Carolina and in-person therapy in Cary and Durham, plus out-of-network superbills available.
A Gentle Approach To Therapy
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 North Carolina, reach out to Acacia Collaborative Psychological Services.
How Therapy Works
Initial session to understand your concerns, history, and goals.
Identify symptoms, patterns, and best-fit treatment approach.
EMDR and trauma-informed therapy to process distressing experiences.
Strengthen insights, coping skills, and emotional stability.
Ongoing sessions or intensives to maintain progress.
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 in 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.
How Does EMDR Therapy Release 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.
Do I have to talk in detail about my trauma during EMDR?
Not necessarily. One benefit of EMDR is that you do not need to describe every detail of your trauma for the therapy to be effective.
How does EMDR work?
EMDR uses bilateral stimulation (such as guided eye movements or tapping) while you focus on distressing memories, helping your brain reprocess them in a less overwhelming way.
Is EMDR effective?
Yes. EMDR is recognized as an evidence-based treatment for trauma and PTSD by major organizations such as the APA and WHO, with strong research support for its effectiveness.
How long does EMDR therapy take?
The length of EMDR treatment varies depending on the person and the complexity of the trauma. Some clients notice improvement in a few sessions, while others may need longer-term support.
How Do You Get Started?
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.
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.
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.
Sources
NIH (2022)
Evidence-based psychotherapies are the first-line treatment of PTSD, with cognitive behavioral therapies such as eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) having the largest body and highest quality of evidence.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36402502/
NIH (2019)
There is a decrease in Attention Bias Variability, a core dysfunction in PTSD, following successful treatment with EMDR.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31636594/
NIH (2000)
In addition to reduction of psychological distress, EMDR leads to more adaptive attitudes and improved functioning.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/10844748/
Contact Acacia Collaborative
Ask a question or book an appointment below.
Hours
Monday through Friday
9AM-8PM
Saturday: 9AM-3PM
Durham Office:
3710 University Drive #302, Durham, NC 27707
Cary Office:
570 New Waverly Pl #210, Cary, NC 27518
Online Therapy
All of North Carolina
Insurance
Accepting Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Blue Home with UNC Health Alliance, State Health Plan, Out-of-Network Superbills & Private Pay. We are credentialed with the following Medicaid plans: Healthy Blue, Carolina Complete, and Wellcare.
Services
Mental Health Therapy & Psychological Assessments