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EMDR

(Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing)

Grounded in research

Many lives changed

No need to retell the trauma

Works when nothing else has

Can work faster than traditional talk therapy

Close-up of a sign with the phrase "The only way is up" written in cursive white text on a dark background.
Learn more about if EMDR can help you

What is EMDR?

EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) is a therapy intervention that focuses on reprocessing trauma in order to improve its impact on you today. EMDR focuses on utilizing tapping, eye movements, and/or sounds in order to improve the way the brain responds to remembering the past trauma.

  • During an EMDR session, you and Ashleigh will target a certain thought, feeling, or behavior that is troublesome. You and Ashleigh will utilize tapping, sounds, paddles, or lights in order to engage in bilateral stimulation. By remembering the thought, feeling, or even behavior, Ashleigh will guide you in the desensitization and reprocessing process in order to decrease the distress the thoughts, emotions, or behaviors bring.

  • EMDR goes beyond traditional talk-therapy. With EMDR, you don’t have to tell the story, or talk about your past in order to process the events, feelings, or behaviors. All we need is you ready to engage in sessions.

  • During EMDR, Ashleigh will lead your brain to recall a certain event or feeling that you are trying to deintensify your response to, which we will call a “target.” Then she will utilize eye movements, tapping, and/or sounds to get your brain to switch between engaging the right and left hemisphere. Through this process, your right and left hemisphere of the brain start to communicate with each other and process the target. You may notice seemingly random thoughts, phrases, memories, feelings, etc. come up. This is your brain moving and working through the memories. It is a neat experience and since it is unique, a lot of questions can come up when learning if EMDR is right for you. Please let us know what questions you have and we will gladly answer them for you!

  • Ashleigh recommends you come to an EMDR session well rested and plan for a relaxing rest of your day after an EMDR session. EMDR can be exhausting for your body and brain since they are continuing to work even after the session is complete.

  • EMDR can help numerous concerns. Ashleigh feels confident utilizing EMDR for attachment issues, trauma, anxiety, and depression.

  • EMDR is not hypnosis. You are fully conscious during the whole session and you are determining what thoughts and feelings are being targeted.

  • EMDR focuses on processing past events and difficult feelings, and continues to do so unconsciously between EMDR sessions. Because of this, clients may notice emotional distress, fatigue, vivid dreams, or even physical symptoms between sessions. This means that your brain is continuing to work on processing what it hasn’t processed before. We recommend relaxing for the rest of the day to provide ample opportunity for your brain and body to focus on healing. Not everyone gets these reactions and the reactions may subside within a few days following the session. Our goal is to continue processing the information in our EMDR sessions to where your reactions are less and less.

  • For a 60 minute EMDR session, it is $150/session. If you need a longer session, the session will be prorated for an additional $30 per 15 minute increment.

  • One session can take between 60 and 90 minutes, depending on your response to the focus of the session. We will aim for 60 minutes for focusing on the target area and then utilize the rest of the time to relax and transition appropriately back to the present moment.