EMDR Therapy in Pleasanton, CA
Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing has become a very popular type of therapy. It is for people who have experienced trauma or who are still affected by negative experiences in their past. When utilized in trauma therapy it helps people process their emotions about traumatic experiences. So that the experience finally feels like it is in the past and not continuing to affect them. EMDR therapy is an especially effective treatment for survivors of trauma. However, it has been shown to help other diagnoses as well, including healing attachment wounds.
I see a lot of people who have childhood memories that continue to affect them. They may think about negative experiences or about the way those experiences have negatively affected them. Many people seeking out this type of treatment have tried talk therapy in the past and found that it didn’t help them heal their trauma.
Eye movement desensitization reprocessing is a body-based type of therapy that supports re-establishing safety within yourself. As an EMDR therapist in Pleasanton, CA, I want to help you find safety and security in your mind and body. Allowing you to feel more connected to yourself and to the world around you.
My Approach as an EMDR Therapist
During therapy sessions, I use bilateral stimulation by directing bilateral eye movements, or a butterfly hug where you tap your shoulders. During a session, I’ll safely guide you through the recollection of a traumatic event that happened to you. While I/you perform bilateral stimulation, in the form of you following my fingers with your eyes or while you tap your body.
After completing Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing people often feel desensitized to the emotional charge of the memory. It also can be easier to think about the experience differently as you reprocess the memory. Your source of healing in an EMDR session is internal. In this way, it’s different than having a dialogue with your therapist and interpreting the experience(s).
One of the reasons it is such an effective form of treatment for trauma is that it supports you as you dive below the cognitive (thinking) understanding of a traumatic event. Instead, you find healing on a bodily and emotional level.
Who is EMDR Therapy appropriate for?
It isn’t just for survivors of trauma, although it has been highly researched to show its effectiveness on trauma. There are also other areas of concern regarding your mental health that eye movement desensitization and reprocessing therapy can help with. Some of these include:
Complex trauma
Childhood abuse and neglect
Relationship abuse later in life
Sexual trauma
Violent trauma
Lack of joy
Struggling to connect
Desire to escape
Not living your best life
Being affected by your past
For childhood abuse and adverse childhood experiences, Attachment-Focused EMDR (AF-EMDR) is especially effective. It’s a client-centered approach that helps you repair delays in development that occurred because of early trauma. It also incorporates some talk therapy to help you integrate your experience.
If you have post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) or are a survivor of complex trauma (trauma that is ongoing, such as childhood long-term abuse), EMDR therapy can be especially helpful for you. The most common things I see in my clients are unhealed attachment wounds, and past abuse and neglect. There are often repeated painful and abusive relationships. Even when someone comes in for help with current issues, like needing to be able to motivate themselves to apply for jobs, often the root of why they can’t apply for those jobs is unhealed traumatic memories or negative beliefs about themselves. If you’ve experienced complex trauma, you may exhibit prolonged trauma symptoms that are intrusive and pervasive. You may feel broken or as though your trauma symptoms define you.
Because trauma causes psychological and physiological distress, it doesn’t matter how often you were exposed to a traumatic event. You can develop symptoms of PTSD from one single traumatic event or from repeated trauma. Though the symptoms may look somewhat different depending on the type of trauma, there is healing. It can help you reconnect with yourself, find safety in yourself, and process the traumatic experiences you’ve had.
EMDR Therapy Vs EMDR Intensives in California
Aside from weekly therapy sessions I also offer EMDR intensives. As an EMDR Therapist in Pleasanton, CA I use these for people who want to get further in their healing journey faster.
How EMDR Intensives works
We’ll start with a consultation to make sure an EMDR intensive is the right fit for you. You’ll decide how long you’d like your intensive to be – I offer half-day sessions, one day sessions, and multiple session days.
For clients that I have not previously seen before, the first half-day session will be spent getting to know each other, learning about your history, and resourcing. Before beginning eye movement desensitization and reprocessing, we will develop positive resources that you can utilize when coping with distress. We will discuss your trauma/attachment history and develop a plan of action together based on your goals. If you are doing day-long sessions (6 hours plus lunch and breaks), then the rest of day one will likely be spent beginning EMDR processing.
Once ready to begin EMDR processing, the bulk of the day(s) will be spent processing with EMDR. As described above, this involves me guiding you through the issue/memory that we are working on while using bilateral stimulation in the form of eye movements or self-tapping. We’ll start our subsequent sessions off with a personal check-in so I can find out how you did between sessions, and if you have had any insights since your last session. We will then begin the EMDR and take breaks as needed. Then at the end of the session, we’ll spend about 5-10 minutes getting back to the present and discussing how the processing went. Although we spend the bulk of the day processing with EMDR, we do also spend time discussing the things that you are processing.
How Long Do EMDR Therapy Sessions Take?
You can decide to do one intensive session with either a half or multiple full days, or you can choose to do one and come back at a later time. The benefit of the intensive format is that you process more in a shorter period of time, so you get further in your therapy in a shorter period of time.
These EMDR intensives can occur in addition to your weekly therapy. Some people have a weekly therapist they want to continue with, and just want to come work through some trauma, and then return to their therapist. Some people want to start with weekly therapy and then do some intensives here and there. Others want to get through as much as possible as quickly as possible. EMDR intensives can be done in multiple ways. You may decide after our intensive time together that you don’t need therapy for a little while. Some people choose to stay in therapy after their intensive, and may even do another one later down the line. It all depends on your individual needs.
Who EMDR Intensives Are For
EMDR intensives are for anyone who is struggling with mental health challenges, particularly the after-effects of traumatic or distressing experiences, who wants to speed up the process of healing.
The appeal of EMDR therapy for people who have experienced trauma is that it neutralizes the emotional charge of the traumatic experience. It no longer will cause you distress. This type of mental health treatment is best for people who haven’t resolved their trauma in traditional talk therapy. The benefit of intensives is that you have more progress in a shorter amount of time. A one-day intensive with me is the equivalent amount of time as two months of weekly sessions with me. A five-day intensive is the equivalent of 10 months of weekly sessions with me.
You don’t need to be a survivor of trauma to benefit from an EMDR intensive. If you’re struggling with past abuse or neglect, unresolved past negative experiences, depression, anxiety, or other mental health challenges, this type of treatment might be for you. In fact, sometimes these other mental health challenges may be due to your unresolved trauma.
Working With an EMDR Therapist in Pleasanton, CA
You’re here because you’re looking for a way to escape the loneliness, frustration, and other distress that past traumatic experiences have caused. I’m here to help you heal through this highly researched, effective method of therapy.
I offer both individual EMDR therapy sessions as well as EMDR intensives. As an EMDR therapist, I’m qualified and trained to provide you relief from traumatic experiences. You can expect professionalism, empathy, warmth, and compassion as we take this painful journey together. I will be a witness to your healing process regardless of whether it’s over the course of one session or over a period of time.
Start EMDR Therapy in Pleasanton, CA
If you’re ready to get started with an EMDR Therapist in Pleasanton, CA then I am here to support you. I look forward to taking the journey towards mental well-being and healing with you. Through either individual sessions or an EMDR intensive, I’ll be here to help you process your traumatic experiences, depression, and anxiety to help you live the life you want to be living. It all starts by following these steps.
Contact me for a consultation to determine if EMDR is right for you
Have your first appointment with an EMDR therapist
Start the journey to begin living the life you want
Other Mental Health Services I Offer in Pleasanton, CA
At my Pleasanton therapy practice, I provide counseling for emotional trauma, trauma therapy, and PTSD treatment. Additionally, I provide anxiety treatment and depression treatment. As an online therapist, all of my therapy services are available throughout California with online therapy.