Online EMDR Therapy in Michigan
What is EMDR Therapy?
EMDR stands for Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing Therapy. First developed by Francine Shapiro in 1989, it has been around for 35 years and there is an abundance of scientific research to support its clinical effectiveness.
An 8-step protocol, EMDR identifies core beliefs that keep you stuck. Bringing a painful memory or experience to mind, an event from the past, a current situation, or a future concern, we’ll explore any negative thoughts, beliefs, and physical sensations associated with it and choose a new, positive belief that you want to connect to the memory or experience instead.
“Changing the memories that form the way we see ourselves also changes the way we view others. Therefore, our relationships, job performance, what we are willing to do or are able to resist, all move in a positive direction.” ― Francine Shapiro
What symptoms does EMDR therapy help with?
EMDR helps the brain reprocess painful memories and experiences so they no longer feel as emotionally charged or overwhelming. It is especially effective for symptoms connected to specific distressing memories or experiences, but it can also help with present-day triggers rooted in past events. EMDR can be used to treat a variety of symptoms related to anxiety, mood, trauma, grief and loss, as well as identity such as:
Anxiety and Stress
Generalized worry that is difficult to control
Social anxiety or performance anxiety
Anxiety attacks or panic attacks
Low mood and emotion regulation
Persistent sadness
Feelings of hopelessness
Anger and irritability
Difficulty managing strong emotions
Trauma responses
Intrusive memories, flashbacks, or nightmares
Hypervigilance (feeling constantly on edge)
Emotional reactivity to reminders of trauma
Avoidance of certain places, people, or thoughts
Attachment wounds and their impact on romantic relationships
Grief & Loss
Shock and disorientation after a sudden, unexpected loss
Difficulty managing distress and devastation after a loss
Prolonged grief after a loss that may have happened years ago
Identity and esteem issues linked to past events
Low self-worth
Guilt or shame
Negative core beliefs (“I’m not good enough”)
How does EMDR therapy Work?
As with any therapeutic assessment, EMDR assess for your past experiences, current concerns, and future goals and identifies memories and experiences you want to target during EMDR processing. EMDR may not be right for everyone.
Bringing a memory or experience you identified to mind and its associated thoughts, beliefs, and physical sensations, you’ll choose a new, positive belief that you want to connect to the event instead.
Next, you’ll engage in rapid eye movement OR alternate tapping, typically the shoulders. During this phase, you are attending to the memory and your newly identified belief and eye movement/tapping, this is dual attention, which helps to reduce the intensity of the memory or event.
During this phase in the session, bilateral stimulation is done for periods of 15-20 seconds with breaks in between to check in with you and what you’re noticing now. Over time, the intensity of the memory or experience reduces while the new positive belief starts to take hold.
When should someone consider EMDR therapy?
EMDR therapy Might be The right step if you:
Experience anxiety, panic, feel frozen or paralyzed
Feel “stuck” in an endless loop depression, grief, or something else you just can’t shake
Have experienced a sudden or unexpected loss and find yourself in a state of shock, disorientation, confusion, or surreality, like “did this really happen?”
Have experienced a single-incident trauma (accident, death, natural disaster, health scare)
If old wounds feel triggered in your current relationships, whether family, romantic, or professional
What to expect in online EMDR sessions?
In an online EMDR session, clients can expect a structured, supportive experience. After ensuring you’ve settled into a private, quiet space with stable internet connection for your session, but before processing any distressing memories or experiences, we will:
Review your history and current concerns
Teach grounding and calming skills
Help you develop internal “safe” space or calming imagery
Then, when you’re ready, we will:
Identify a specific distressing memory or experience you’d like to work on
Notice the emotions, body sensations, and negative belief connected to it
Identify a healthier belief you’d like to strengthen
Next, we will engage bilateral stimulation and processing. During this phase:
You’ll follow visual cues, sounds, or tapping for a duration of ~20 seconds
During this time, your brain begins reprocessing the memory
You briefly share what comes up between ~20 second sets
You do not need to describe the trauma in detail. EMDR allows the brain to do much of the work internally.
At the end of each session, the goal is for :
Positive beliefs to be strengthened
Emotional distress to be reduced
Grounding techniques to be used as needed
Schedule an emdr therapy consultation today!
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