EMDR Therapy in Westchester, NY
What is EMDR?
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) is a well-researched therapeutic process. It's designed to lessen the power of traumatic memories and beliefs. EMDR recognizes that we store trauma from painful memories in our bodies. They cause us to overreact in physical and emotional ways to certain triggers in daily life. EMDR helps process these memories so they can no longer sabotage the future. EMDR therapy uses eye movements, sound, or pulsations to stimulate each side of the brain.
EMDR is effective for changing:
Negative thought patterns
Emotional reactions
Entrenched habits
Physical discomfort
EMDR is a good alternative for those who can’t “think" their way out of using traditional "talk therapy." Though many assume they can't recover from these experiences, EMDR has proven to be effective in helping people heal in only a few sessions.
What is EMDR in Westchester, NY Used to Treat?
EMDR is one of the best researched and effective psychotherapy treatments for a wide range of issues including:
Attachment trauma
Neglect and Abandonment
Sexual assault, violence, and abuse
Anxiety, panic attacks, and phobias
Chronic illness and medical issues
Grief and loss
What does EMDR look like in a Therapy Session?
When using EMDR therapy, I will help you identify memories and beliefs that impact your life. I will guide you to activate the thoughts in your brain and feelings in your body. We will focus on past traumas, current stressors, or worries about the future.
While recalling an event, you will also undergo bilateral stimulation. This is the core element of EMDR. Bilateral stimulation is the use of visual, auditory, or tactile external stimulation in a side-to-side pattern. During EMDR sessions, your brain is actually doing all the work for you. The most important thing to note about EMDR is that YOU are in control the whole time.
Unlike exposure therapy, the experience of EMDR isn’t a reliving of a painful life event. Instead, the traumatic memory links up with positive, useful info stored in your brain. EMDR creates “dual awareness.” Instead of being fully pulled into memory, eye movements, or bilateral tapping anchor the mind and body. You stay oriented in the present while also remembering the distressing experience.
EMDR Therapy can be emotionally intense
As your therapist, I will always follow your lead, as your emotional safety and comfort is my top priority. At all times, I will be there to help you know you are safe. I will help you to ground yourself in the present and coach you through any difficult parts of the process. I will also help teach you inner resourcing skills. With these, your brain can access a sense of calm and stability when the processing gets intense. Most people find this a very empowering and comforting part of EMDR.
EMDR does not make people forget their painful experiences or stop being sad about them. But, the memories will become only that: memories. They will become less upsetting because they are stored as something that happened in the past. Instead of reliving it over and over in the present, you recall them without the painful emotions.
The number of sessions to process an event depends on the specific problem and trauma history of the client.
HOW WILL YOU FEEL AFTER AN EMDR therapy SESSION?
EMDR facilitates deep and lasting changes. During an EMDR session, your mind will move quickly from one memory/scene to the next to the next. This process will continue between sessions as your mind-body-spirit move toward healing. It is NORMAL for people to discover new information. Or, make unexpected connections, and experience strong positive and negative emotions between sessions. It is also normal for the changes to be more subtle and gradual.
Usually, unexpected positive resources also spontaneously come to mind or in dreams. I encourage clients to spend time between sessions practicing and strengthening the positive resources that they have developed in session.
Can I Do EMDR therapy Online through telehealth?
Yes! EMDR can be done virtually through online therapy (telehealth). We will use a secure, HIPAA-compliant platform to ensure confidentially. We then use a variety of methods, depending on your preference & comfort level. We administer the bilateral stimulation (BLS), which is the basis of EMDR therapy. I am certified in EMDR and weave it together with other approaches. This includes mindfulness, cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), and dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT).
Begin EMDR Therapy in Westchester, NY
You don't have to feel stuck in the past. I would be honored to help you overcome trauma, and provide lasting healing. I offer support from my Westchester County therapy practice where we see clients from Pleasantville, Chappaqua, Bedford, and Mt. Kisco. To start your therapy journey, please follow these simple steps:
Learn more about me
Start feeling lasting changes that follow EMDR therapy in New York.
Other Services Offered by Joanna N. Rosenblatt
EMDR therapy is not the only service I offer from my Westchester, NY-based therapy practice. Other services offered include therapy for women, trauma therapy, therapy for infertility, maternal overwhelm, and parenting stress. I also offer anxiety treatment, OCD treatment, sexuality and intimacy issues, and online therapy. For more information, feel free to learn more about me!