SOMATIC, ATTACHMENT-FOCUSED EMDR THERAPY IN ANN ARBOR, MI

Experience lasting change

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EMDR may be a good fit for you if you …

  • Wonder why your old stuff keeps showing up at work and with family and friends?

  • Notice yourself having big reactions with certain people and situations or constantly feel jumpy or on the lookout for danger.

  • Have panic attacks, feel overwhelmed, stressed out or tired, shut down, and numb.

  • Feel like you’re always spinning your wheels, never able to relax and have fun, or unable to focus or get things done.

  • Cope with nightmares, flashbacks, and bad images that get stuck in your mind.

Life doesn’t have to look this way.

What is EMDR?

Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) is a type of psychotherapy that has been extensively researched and is recommended for the treatment of trauma, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), anxiety, and other stressful life events. EMDR is a comprehensive approach that integrates the mind, body, and emotions in the healing of trauma. EMDR facilitates fundamental changes in your beliefs about yourself and how you function in your daily life.

How EMDR Therapy Works

In therapy, you can face the memory or belief in a safe and supportive setting so that you aren’t alone and overwhelmed. Somatic, Attachment-Focused EMDR therapy helps the brain process distressing events and beliefs through dual awareness and taxing the workng memory, facilitating the brain’s nature healing process. One form of dual awareness (or bilateral stimulation) involves moving the eyes back and forth, like what happens in REM sleep. Other forms of dual awareness used in EMDR are sounds, tapping, and simple memory tasks.Once the memory is fully processed, you’ll still remember the experience, but the stress response (emotional valance) is resolved so that the memory is no longer distressing in the present moment.

EMDR therapy can help you to …

  • Feel lighter and more present, feel safe in your body and the world around you.

  • Sleep better.

  • Have healthier relationships with yourself and others

  • No longer feel overwhelmed by daily living.

  • Get relief from intense emotions related to a past experience or fear of the future

  • Believe that a better life is possible and that you deserve a chance to live it.

What happens in EMDR Therapy?

  • There are 8 phases of EMDR therapy, and I will guide you from start to finish. In the beginning, we get to know each other. I learn about you, your life, what matters most to you, and things that you want to see change. I’ll ask questions about different parts of your life, including your childhood and family relationships. Once we have a good connection, we decide what painful experience(s) you want to target or focus on.

  • Next, we spend time in preparation. We do activities to help you learn ways to feel calm when a difficult emotion rises up. I’ll show you a variety of techniques (including deep breathing, guided imagery, and a body scanning) so you can try them out and see which ones you like best. The preparation stage is very important, as we are teaching your system what to do when we gently and carefully begin to process painful memories from your past. We want to make sure you are ready to go there so the experience can be healing (and not harmful) for you.

  • After preparation is complete we move to the Resourcing Phase. During this phase we are filling you up with resources and tools that will help you when it’s time to process your painful memory. I guide you through activities that help you feel supported, protected, and cared for. We may focus on a time in life when things were going well for you and enjoy that together. We may envision a future where life is as you want it to be. We may imagine all of your support people showing up to help you along the way. The Resourcing Phase is where we fill up with good feelings and good memories, kind of like packing up food for a long journey, because the next step will be reprocessing!

  • The Reprocessing Phase is where the magic happens! This is where we select a painful memory or belief to reprocess. I’ll guide you to select an image that represents the worst part of the experience, and “light up your limbic system” by helping you notice the emotions, beliefs, and body sensations that come up when you remember it today. We will apply the dual awareness stimulation. Your only job is to stay present, noticing what comes into your awareness. You don’t have to make anything happen - there’s no right or wrong - you just follow whatever comes into your attention. We notice those things together, and help the memory be “digested” in a new way. I’m here to help if you begin to feel stressed or uncomfortable. We can keep the process gentle and go at the pace that feels okay to you. Many people are shocked by the amount of insight they gain during the EMDR Reprocessing phase and how their experience of the memory can change.

  • When desensitization is complete, installation begins. In this phase, the client associates and strengthens a positive belief with the target event until it feels completely true. Here’s where we will lean into our somatic resources to really notice what this new perspective feels like.

  • The final stage of EMDR is Reflection. We look back, take inventory, and celebrate the process of growth and healing. We notice how things have shifted and if our work is complete or if there is still more work to be done. As always, you are the decider of where we go next and I’m thrilled to be a part of your journey.

My specialties for EMDR therapy are…

  • Workplace trauma

  • Assaults, accidents and disasters

  • Anxiety and panic

  • Painful childhood experiences (Complex PTSD)

  • Sexual abuse

  • Performance anxiety and enhancement

EMDR Session Types Offered

EMDR Intensives


Perfect for those who have a busy schedule, but want real change, targeted EMDR Intensives allow you to complete months worth of therapy in a weekend.



Extended EMDR Sessions


This 3-hour session provides the benefits of EMDR Intensives, but on a more flexible schedule. Schedule between 1-4 sessions over a set period of time to accelerate your healing.

Adjunctive EMDR Sessions

For those wanting more adjunctive therapy support in smaller doses throughout the month, I offer 60 & 90 minute sessions on a weekly, bi-weekly or monthly basis.

Frequently asked questions about EMDR therapy

FAQs

  • Yes! EMDR can help with a wide range of issues including depression, anxiety, phobias, grief/loss, burnout, and addictive or compulsive behaviors. EMDR is even used to help athletes, executives, and artists to find their flow so they can reach a new level of creativity and perform at their very best.

  • Part of EMDR is allowing yourself to feel a bit of the painful emotions associated with a traumatic experience. Before we do this, we practice emotional regulation and self care. We are able to take breaks and not push past your emotional limits. We can take as much time as we need to be gentle in our approach to these sensitive topics.

  • Somatic and Attachment Focused (SAFE) EMDR was developed by Deborah Kennard after many years as an EMDR trainer.

    The ultimate goal of SAFE EMDR is to facillitate the most safe and efficient way to implement EMDR Therapy. SAFE EMDR incorporates elements from Sensorimotor Psychotherapy (a somatic approach) and Internal Family Systems (an attachment, or relationship-oriented approach) using principles of nonviolence and mindfulness.

    In addition to advanced training in Sensorimotor Psychotherapy and Internal Family Systems, I incorporate advanced trainings in Ego State work and dissociation, preverbal trauma EMDR Flash Technique, EMDR Protocol for Recent Critical Incidents, and EMDR 2.0.

  • You can talk about it as little or as much as you want. EMDR Therapy is still effective even if you don’t tell your therapist every nitty gritty detail. Some details feel especially painful or embarrassing. You can decide what to share and what to keep private. EMDR Therapy does not require you to talk or relive every second of the worst moment of your life. (Thankfully - because that sounds terrible!)

  • I will guide you every step of the way. Your job, when we get to the reprocessing phase, is to keep one foot in the present and put one foot in the past. Then you simply notice the feelings, thoughts, or body sensations that you notice. Share with me what you are experiencing. If at any point you feel stressed or overwhelmed, we can take a break or get relief by shifting our attention to something else. There’s no right or wrong way to do EMDR Therapy. We are simply following your brain’s natural ability to make connections and help you heal.

  • Every person is different. Some single event traumas (like a car accident) may reprocess quickly in 6 to 8 90-minute sessions. Most people have experienced more than one trauma during their lifetimes or perhaps one type of trauma that occurred many times (for example, bullying or abuse) Long-term traumas may take more time to reprocess.

  • Once EMDR therapy is finished, most people can expect to feel a great deal of relief. Even though the traumatic memory may still come up, it won't have as much emotional charge. You may feel more of a sense of calm and acceptance when thinking about the event.

  • Yes! EMDR therapy can be in person or online. Whatever feels most comfortable to you!

 Healing is possible

Reach out today to discuss how EMDR can help you experience the relief you’re looking for.

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