EMDR Counseling
That Focuses On The Future
You already know that the past is powerful. Your experiences, from the joyful to the awful to those that come packaged with mixed emotions, impact who you are as a person, how you see the world, and how you manage relationships, family life, personal ambitions, trauma responses, and everyday responsibilities. Your experiences are so profound that painful ones, such as witnessing violence in the home, losing a spouse, or getting injured in an accident, can cause chaos. EMDR counseling offers a chance to build a new foundation; it empowers you to dodge the pitfalls of the past and focus on your future.
If you’re experiencing PTSD, overwhelmed by irrational fears and anxiety, or hypervigilant each time you walk into a shopping mall or get behind the wheel, EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) can help!
EMDR reduces the charge of painful experiences, forces trauma to release its grip, and allows you to get unstuck and move forward.
Quieting the Power of the Past
EMDR counseling is a process that uses structured techniques and bilateral stimulation, such as guided eye movements, tapping, or alternating tones. One of our EMDR-trained therapists will guide you through each session, asking you to focus on a distressing memory while bilateral stimulation takes place. This requires your brain to engage in a dual-attention task instead of focusing solely on your discomfort. With consistency, your brain learns to re-evaluate your trauma, recognize that you’re not in present danger, and lessen the memory’s intensity.
EMDR doesn’t erase memories; it reduces their power.
It can be used to treat or manage the following:
Childhood trauma or adverse experiences
PTSD
Grief and loss
Past experiences of abuse or neglect
Panic or irrational fear
First Responder trauma
Relationship trauma (including insecurity and trust issues)
Negative self-beliefs and low self-worth
Addiction-related trauma
Avoidance and safety-seeking behaviors
Feelings of shame or guilt
“Big T” trauma (major events) and “little t” trauma (more subtle occurrences)
Emotional reactions and irritability
EMDR has become a staple of trauma treatment, but it’s effective in other areas, too. It can be used to manage symptoms of OCD, performance anxiety, chronic pain, mood disorders, and more.
Therapists With The Tools To Help
At Counseling4Life, EMDR is one of our specialties. We can use it to help you sever the tethers of the past, reduce the impact of painful memories, and move forward with more resilience and confidence. In addition to EMDR, we also offer Brainspotting, Expressive Trauma Integration, and Trauma-Focused CBT.
Our EMDR therapists are specially trained in this highly effective modality, and many have years of experience integrating it into their practice (although EMDR may feel like a novel concept, it dates all the way back to 1987). We work with those who’ve tried EMDR before, as well as those entirely new to the process.
EMDR For The Hungry And The Hesitant
It’s completely normal if you begin EMDR counseling with at least a little hesitation. You may have lots of questions about EMDR’s effectiveness or even think it sounds too good to be true.
And that’s okay!
You also could be coming to us from the other side of the coin: maybe traditional talk therapy isn’t for you, but you’ve heard many great things about this effective approach and are ready to see if EMDR just might be the answer.
We work with people from all walks of life . . . with diverse experiences and symptoms, and with a range of goals and comfort levels. Our care is designed to address your concerns and take things as slowly as you need, or if you're ready to jump in with both feet, we'll help you move forward with clarity, confidence, and support.
A Tailored-To-You Timeline
EMDR, like all therapy, is a personal process, with no set-in-stone timeline from start to finish. The number of sessions required for the full effect depends on several factors, including the readiness of your nervous system, your underlying issues, and whether your trauma was a one-time event (such as a car accident) or complex (like spending months deployed to a war zone).
How Unaddressed Trauma Impacts Your Life
Failing to acknowledge trauma and seek treatment often creates a domino effect, knocking down other pieces of your life. Ghosts of the past can seep into present-day happiness, career or academic success, relationships and family life, and how you view the world and your place in it.
EMDR counseling offers a way to sidestep the trauma trap; it’s especially ideal for those who don’t want to have to speak about the challenging events, as well as those who’ve had little progress with traditional talk therapy. Reducing the emotional charge of your experiences, thoughts, and fears, it empowers you to take the reins and move forward with insight, self-worth, and the recognition that painful memories don’t have to control your life.
EMDR Offers a Lifeline
EMDR counseling is for those who feel stuck, powerless, and handcuffed by their histories. It offers a spectrum of benefits, including rapid relief, accelerated learning, high remission rates, and reduced anxiety and memory intensity. It can turn negative self-beliefs into positive ones, regulate your emotions, and make memories that were once all-consuming feel neutral and manageable.
If you’re curious about EMDR counseling or ready to get started, reach out today to schedule an appointment.
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Our Therapists
SAN ANTONIO:
Juestine Casarez
Sydney Chamness
Angels Cooper
Robin Harrington
Wren Hutchinson
Kaitlin Lacy
Drea Luster
Heather Pullen
Jada Savas
Anessa Vargas
Ashley Villarreal
Vanessa Zapata
SPRING BRANCH / BULVERDE:
Juliann Heye
Robin Pritz
Robyn Harrington
Melanie Little
VICTORIA:
Shannon Zorn
Marisa Gonzales
Megan Slovacek
Rosanne Wagner
Carliana Sutton
TELEHEALTH / VIRTUAL:
Michelle Farrey, *military specialization
Jordan Decleene
Stephanie Dziuk
Sarah Keen