Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing, commonly shortened to EMDR, is a form of therapy originally developed to treat trauma. It is still one of the most effective psychotherapeutic methods for PTSD and is now used to treat a number of disorders by addressing underlying traumatic memories. Denver, Colorado EMDR therapy services are available at Mile High Recovery Center.
Because it is so effective for substance use and mental health disorders, Mile High Recovery Center proudly offers EMDR in both our residential and outpatient programs. EMDR can help you heal and move on beyond the grip of past trauma and the challenges it creates in the present. Find out how by filling out this online form or calling 303-268-2144 to speak to a knowledgeable and caring staff member at Mile High Recovery Center.
EMDR for Trauma
Human physiology, which includes both body and mind, has an agenda. That agenda is wellness. Consider how effectively the body heals itself. If you cut your finger on a piece of broken glass, first you pull out the glass in order to heal. The body knows how to stop the blood from flowing (clotting) and how to seal the two sides of the wound back together. It also fights infection. If you forget to wash out the wound, your body will send white blood cells to ward off infection. Clotting, mending flesh, and warding off infection are responses to physical trauma. When the wound, illness, or trauma to the body is great, we have doctors and other professionals who can help our body heal – always in partnership.
When trauma to the mind interferes with wellness, just as a sliced-open finger does, your mind has the ability to heal itself, but remember the first step? Remove the offending object. The glass had to be plucked from your bleeding finger. In healing your mind, the impediment to wellness created by past trauma has to go, and then the mind can find equilibrium again.
This is what EMDR makes possible.
What to Expect in EMDR Therapy
EMDR is highly structured and has a targeted duration that is much shorter than traditional psychotherapy. By stepping through the eight phases of EMDR one at a time, you move steadily toward healing. All the while, you are under your therapist’s watchful eye and guidance.
EMDR involves the following:
- Taking your history – mental health symptoms and general overview of trauma
- Creating a treatment plan
- Deciding which target memory will be addressed first in EMDR therapy
- Ensuring that you feel protected and safe, ready to move forward at every step or phase
- Learning how to identify where trauma sits in your body – where you feel it when the memory is activated. The goal is to remove that physical response by relocating and disempowering the memory.
- Using bilateral eye movement or tapping to desensitize you to the memory you are targeting
- Using imagery to install positive beliefs in place of negative, damaging ones
- Confirming success by scanning the body for any response to the memory post-treatment
- Processing every stage of the EMDR therapy by journaling
- Learning skills to take with you through life that will help you handle any future negative experiences
- Determining whether there are other traumatic memories that need to be reprocessed
When you think about trauma EMDR, think about how your mind can heal with some clear goals supported by your intentions and your therapist’s expertise. You’ve got this.
EMDR for Mental Health at Mile High Recovery Center
Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing – the very name of the therapy states exactly what happens during your sessions. Your mind becomes desensitized to traumatic memories that live so close to the surface that they continue traumatizing you years after the original event. You can move on without living under their shadow by reprocessing those memories and placing them in their rightful spot in your memory banks.
Let Mile High Recovery Center’s EMDR-trained clinicians guide you beyond the grip of trauma so you can heal and find your rightful path. EMDR for mental health as well as recovery is a powerful therapy, and we are proud to offer it here in the Mile High City of Denver, CO. Reach out today to learn more about EMDR for trauma. Our number is 303-268-2144, and our online form can be completed at any hour of the day or night, and we will get back to you promptly.
