What is EMDR?

EMDR is a special psychotherapeutic technique used to treat clients who have been emotionally traumatized. EMDR stands for Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing. By using eye movements or other stimulation, emotionally charged traumatic memories are disconnected. This occurs because the brain is naturally wired to help us recover from traumatic events and distressing memories. For some people, events can be so traumatic they disrupt the normal flow of neural communication and memories get stuck, giving the client the feeling of being frozen in time. EMDR “unsticks” and replaces those memories which alleviates suffering in a safe and contained way. What is EMDR good for treating?

People report making more progress with EMDR than in traditional talk therapy. 25 years of research supports its effectiveness. If you or a loved one have endured any of these painful experiences, especially promising results can be expected:

•Trauma & PTSD (abuse, tragedies, complicated grief, sexual assault, combat, natural disasters)
•Substance Abuse & Addiction
•Anxiety (including phobias, performance anxiety and panic attacks)
•Depression
•Disorders (dissociative identity, pain, eating, personality & body dysmorphia)

What do EMDR therapy sessions look like?

A trained therapist assesses the client for a disturbing memory, thought or feeling then applies bilateral stimulation (eye movements or tapping) to exchange disturbing memories for more positive ones.

There are 8 phases to the treatment, that are moved through at a varying pace depending on your readiness for the next stage. Traditional EMDR sessions follow these steps but trained EMDR therapists know the appropriate pacing and determine whether to continue or stop at anytime:

1. Gathering client history and creating a plan of treatment
2. Preparing for the EMDR treatment
3. Assessing specific traumatic memories and negative core beliefs
4. Desensitization technique is implemented
5. Installing a position belief in lieu of the negative one
6. Scanning the body for physical tension or lingering tension
7. Closing the session
8. Re-evaluating the client’s distress and their levels of cognition

How does EMDR work?

EMDR impacts how the brain processes information by working to release memories that have been contained in the nervous system. During an EMDR session, a therapist may direct you to hold specific memories in mind while watching the therapist’s fingers as they move back and forth. Redirecting your attention like this, while recalling the traumatic event, has been found to minimize emotional responses evoked by the memory. Research supports that this therapy activity stimulates the brain to process that memory and its distressing emotions. While it may seem contrary to bringing up painful memories, avoiding them actually might perpetuate lasting effects of the event, through nightmares, stress, anxiety, and panic attacks. Otherwise attempting to avoid/ignore traumatic memories may hinder you from moving forward and prevent joy and peace. The therapist is there to guide you and may, at times, gently push you to process painful moments.

What are Play and Sand Tray Therapies?

Play Therapy
Child-Centered Play Therapy is an approach that allows the child to show us their worlds and thoughts through play. Children lack the full ability to verbalize their feelings and needs. Play is natural and effortless to a child. Play illustrates themes the client may be playing out in his or her life. With a professional understanding, play therapy is an effective tool for identifying thoughts, feelings and growth in certain areas such as independence, self-control, esteem, and compliance with limits and boundaries. The counseling relationship is a safe place for children to label and express feelings and thoughts, such as anger, fear and sadness. Play also assists with personal boundaries and self worth development. There are two approaches to play therapy. Play therapists use both approaches, depending on the circumstances. Nondirective play therapy is based on the principle that children can resolve their own issues given the right conditions and the freedom to play with limited instruction. Directive play therapy uses more input from the therapist to help process issues.


Sand Tray
Because of the nonverbal nature of Sand Tray therapy, children achieve feelings of comfort and security. Many children are unable to verbalize emotional states so Sand Tray is effective in freeing the client to develop their own expression of situations. Often, clients will experience a sense of independent play and begin making assumptions and behavior changes independently. This method of therapy can serve as a valuable and powerful outlet for children because of the relaxed and interactive setting provides them. Sand Tray therapy is also very useful in the treatment of children who have been traumatized and who are often threatened and are in highly anxious states when they come to therapy.

What is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)?

CBT focuses on:

•Identifying negative thinking
•Controlling emotions
•Changing thinking patterns
•Developing personal coping skills
•Solving current problems

CBT is effective in treating:

•Depression
•Anxiety
•Marital problems
•Substance abuse
•Eating disorders

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy is based on the principle that psychological problems derive from negative thinking, which impacts our emotions, which then effects our behaviors. Working with a counselor to learn and discuss negative thinking patterns is the first step in the process to achieving relief from anxiety and depression symptoms.

CBT can be helpful when implementing healthy coping skills. Rather than the focus being on what has happened in the past, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy’s primary focus is on how to deal with currently and how we can better cope in order to move forward and develop more effective ways of managing life.

What is Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT)?

DBT is type of cognitive behavioral therapy. Dialectical Behavioral Therapy focuses primarily on how to live in the moment, developing healthy ways to deal with stress, regulates emotions and improve relationships with others.

DBT is broken up into 4 main strategies:

Mindfulness: Helps client to focus on the present rather than the past or the future or “live in the moment”. Mindfulness helps you be able to slow down and be able to implement healthy coping skills while in the midst of stress or pain. It also helps you avoid entering negative thought patterns.

Distress Tolerance: Helps client plan for how to best deal with intense emotions and handle crisis situations in addition to being able to accept yourself and your current situation.

Interpersonal Effectiveness: Assists with becoming more assertive in your relationships and communicating more effectively all while learning how to respect yourself and others. For example, expressing your emotions as well as setting boundaries in a healthy way.

Emotion Regulation: Allows client to navigate intense feelings in a more effective way. This involves recognizing, naming, and changing emotions. This strategy reduces emotional vulnerability and allows you more positive emotional experiences.

DBT is effective in treating:

•Depression
•Anxiety
•Attention Deficit Disorder
•Bipolar
•Obsessive Compulsive Disorder
•Post Traumatic Stress Disorder
•Substance Use Disorder
•Borderline Personality Disorder

How does ART help in Therapy?

Art Therapy uses the creative process of art making to improve and enhance the physical, mental and emotional wellbeing of clients. Art Therapy is based on the idea that the creative act can be healing. By limiting reliance on verbal expression, Art Therapy opens up avenues of visual expression. Helping clients resolve conflicts and problems, develop interpersonal skills, manage behavior, reduce stress, increase self esteem & self awareness, and achieve insight, are the mainstays of Art Therapy.

What is Art Therapy good for treating?

Therapists agree that creative art can help express hidden emotions and reduce stress, fear and anxiety.

Therapeutic art activities are effective with Trauma, Anxiety, Depression, Addiction recovery, Suicidal Ideations, Impulse control/ ADHD, Social skills deficits, Self esteem, Identity Development and Emotional Regulation.

What do ART Therapy sessions look like?

Typical ART Therapy sessions follow these steps (however, therapists apply flexibility as needed to ensure the session has the appropriate pace, skill level and cognitive application):

Introduction: applying client history and creating a plan of treatment
Pre-Art Making: outlining benefits, addressing any client reluctance, and setting goals
Art Making: introducing the art exercise and materials, providing flexible instructions around theme and beginning to create with a directive or non-directive approach Observation: processing decision-making versus impulsivity, attitude, and body language
Post-Art Making: providing relevant psycho-education, considering outcomes and verbally exploring main themes and client considerations

How does ART Therapy work?

Since creating art is mostly a nonverbal process, it expands the ways clients convey ideas and emotion and resolves issues that a client might not otherwise feel comfortable discussing in a regular conversation. Art Therapy harnesses creative healing power when exploring thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. It is successful because it

•Acts as a distraction that calms the nervous system
•Interrupts rumination by encouraging focus on one thing
•Increases self-esteem from the act of creating something by providing tactile stimulation
•Reduces over-stimulation from external sources by venting and releasing stress

Art therapy also reduces anxiety by improving self esteem, problem solving, expressing feelings, and setting goals which result in improved thinking patterns. Research suggests there is a direct correlation between the creative arts and positive health outcomes.