EMDR Therapy in Nashville

Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR therapy) is a form of psychotherapy used to help individuals cope with trauma and distressing life experiences. This unique therapy involves a series of eye movements, sounds, or taps that are used to stimulate the information-processing system in the brain, allowing the individual to process and release stored emotional trauma.

Curious about this cutting-edge therapy? At Southeast Addiction Center, we specialize in EMDR therapy in Nashville, TN. EMDR might be the ideal therapy if you need help managing PTSD, anxiety, depression, addictions, and other mental health issues holding you back.

Types of Disorders EMDR Therapy Helps

This innovative type of therapy involves stimulating the brain through eye movements or other forms of bilateral stimulation while the client recalls traumatic experiences. EMDR therapy has been recognized as an evidence-based treatment for PTSD by organizations such as the World Health Organization and the American Psychiatric Association. This can help the brain process and reframe traumatic memories, reducing the intensity of PTSD symptoms such as anxiety, nightmares, and flashbacks.

In addition to PTSD, EMDR therapy can treat overcoming complex trauma, dissociative disorders, and phobias. This approach helps process traumatic memories using eye movements, taps, and tones to stimulate the brain.

The technique targets specific memories, helping to desensitize the emotions and diminish the strength of the memory’s impact. EMDR therapy is known to heal the painful memories of those who have suffered complex trauma and have difficulty processing their experiences — the process aids in calming the emotional distress and enabling individuals to move forward in their healing journey.

Benefits of EMDR Therapy

While misconceptions concerning the time it takes to heal from trauma exist, through research and practice, we know that mental trauma can be healed parallel to physical trauma to the body. This means that we help clients engage their bodies in a natural healing process once the emotional block is recognized.

There are several benefits to EMDR therapy, including:

• Improvement in symptoms of anxiety, depression, PTSD, and other trauma-related disorders
• Gaining a better sense of control over one’s thoughts and emotions
• Increased self-esteem and a positive outlook on life
• Lessening the painful memories associated with the trauma
• Heightened feelings of empowerment

While mental health professionals have widely used traditional talk therapy to treat PTSD and trauma-related disorders, EMDR therapy is effective in less time when performed under the care of a licensed EMDR therapist.

How EDMR Therapy Works

During an EMDR session, our skilled therapists guide clients through specific eye movements or other forms of bilateral stimulation while asking them to recall certain traumatic events. Through this process, the client can begin reprocessing the memory in a less distressing and more adaptive way.

EMDR therapy works by helping to desensitize the emotional response to traumatic memories while also allowing for the inclusion of more positive, adaptive beliefs and emotions.

Because EMDR is a form of psychotherapy, it has a basis in neurobiology, particularly memory consolidation. The therapy works by targeting and reprocessing traumatic memories, which alters the neural pathways associated with those memories.

EMDR therapy has been shown to activate the brain’s frontal lobe, where cognitive processing and decision-making occur, while also stimulating the limbic system, the brain’s emotional center. By integrating these two areas of the brain during therapy, EMDR helps clients process and heal from trauma effectively and efficiently.

At our Nashville treatment center, we have a team of highly experienced and qualified therapists in using EMDR therapy. Alyssa Sebastian is our Clinical Director and is a licensed professional counselor. Among her specialties is EMDR therapy along with animal therapy, addiction treatment in military and veteran cultures, dialectical behavioral therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy, reality therapy, seeking safety, and motivational interviewing.

Who Does EMDR Therapy Work Best For?

EMDR therapy is most effective for individuals who have experienced trauma or have symptoms associated with PTSD. It can benefit those who struggle with recurring memories or flashbacks to a traumatic event or experience.

The therapy is also suitable for individuals who have trouble talking about their experiences or are less receptive to traditional talk therapy. However, it is important to note that EMDR therapy may not be suitable for individuals with certain psychiatric disorders or those with a history of dissociation.

The Department of Defense and Centers for Disease Control Strongly support veterans and survivors of sexual assault and sexual abuse, individuals with eating disorders, victims of natural disasters, and those grieving the loss of a loved one as ideal candidates for EMDR therapy.

Customized EMDR Treatment Plans

Southeast Addiction Center tailors EMDR therapy to each new client’s unique needs. An individualized treatment plan is vital to achieving successful outcomes and working through past trauma. To do this, we complete the treatment through eight phases.

• Phase 1: The therapy session begins with history-taking, which involves targeting past disturbing memories presenting as current triggers.
• Phase 2: Preparing the client is where the clinician introduces the procedures, including practicing bilateral stimulation, typically eye movements, as a way to begin the trauma treatment.
• Phase 3: Assessing the target memory means activating the targeted memory in the session and assessing each of the memory’s components: image, cognition, affect, and body sensation.
• Phases 4-7: As the trauma therapy continues, the therapist works with the client to process the memory by desensitizing the memory and replacing adverse reactions with positive cognition. In the sixth phase, the body scan, the client observes their physical response while thinking of the incident to identify any remaining associated distress. The seventh phase ends the session, and the client is given instructions for action if the triggers are not entirely removed.
• Phase 8: Lastly, the therapist evaluates the treatment results in the client’s current psychological state to assess whether or not treatment effects have held, what memories may have appeared since the last session, and works with the client to identify new or continued targets.

We want our clients to feel empowered while going through treatment. Therefore, they have to be willing to do the necessary work and have ownership over their progress if they will move forward. The key to having an individualized plan in place is using it to create positive change.

Contact Southeast Addiction Center

If you or someone you know is suffering from PTSD or trauma-related disorders, contact our dedicated team at Southeast Addiction Center in Nashville, TN, to learn more about our EMDR therapy and how it can help you. Reach out today. Speak to a member of our team to discuss your specific needs at (888) 981-8263 or email us at [email protected].