EMDR Therapy in Cherry Hill, NJ

EMDR Therapy

If you have tried numerous forms of therapeutic methods for trauma and none of them seem to be helping it might be time to try EMDR. Traumatic events physically change the pathways in the brain. EMDR can help to rewire those pathways in order to make coping with trauma easier. The Healing Center offers EMDR therapy in Cherry Hill, NJ to help individuals start effectively healing from their traumas.

What is EMDR Therapy?

EMDR stands for eye movement desensitization and reprocessing therapy. It is a form of therapy that uses light or objects to alter an individual’s eye movements while processing their trauma. Classic forms of therapy focus on talking through traumatic events, while EMDR focuses on processing and changing the emotions connected to the event. Through eye movement desensitization and reprocessing therapy the brain starts to heal and individuals find the emotions associated with their trauma to be less distressing.  EMDR therapy in Cherry Hill, NJ is extremely beneficial for a variety of mental health illnesses including anxiety, PTSD, and addiction.

EMDR Therapy in New Jersey
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How Does EMDR Therapy In Cherry Hill Work?

To effectively process trauma both the emotional and intellectual sides of the brain need to communicate and work together. EMDR helps facilitate that process. The eye movements used in EMDR therapy soften the emotions and feelings that are associated with the traumatic event and memories. Studies on EMDR show that it greatly improves symptoms of PTSD and anxiety. PTSD is often associated with a multitude of other co-occurring disorders, such as addiction, therefore EMDR can be a great tool to help a variety of mental health disorders

During an EMDR therapy in Cherry Hill session your therapist will use things like lights and certain objects in order to create certain eye movements while you process your trauma. EMDR does not involve any medications. This form of therapy may seem very simplistic, but there is a multitude of evidence that supports the effectiveness of it. Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing therapy should only be done in a therapeutic setting with a licensed professional. It can be a painful and intense therapy that has the potential to trigger intense emotional responses and behaviors. If individuals attempt to do this form of therapy without the proper guidance it can lead to extremely negative outcomes such as emotional breakdowns and relapses. Here at The Healing Center, we offer EMDR therapy in Cherry Hill, New Jersey in a safe environment through certified mental health professionals to ensure that this form of intense therapy has the best possible outcomes for our clients. 

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What does EMDR Therapy Treat?

The main focus of EMDR is to help individuals heal from traumatic events, relationships, and experiences. Since trauma often goes hand and hand with other mental health illnesses, EMDR is normally beneficial for a wide range of diagnoses. Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing therapy can treat a multitude of different mental health issues including, but not limited to:

  • Post Traumatic Stress Disorder
  • Depression
  • Anxiety 
  • Insomnia 
  • Phobias
  • Stress
  • Addiction
  • Alcoholism
  • Performance Issues
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EMDR Therapy in New Jersey

Benefits of EMDR Therapy?

Post traumatic stress disorder is one of the most common root causes for other mental health issues. Normally if an individual is suffering from addiction, anxiety, and/or depression then there is an underlying level of trauma that has triggered these illnesses. EMDR therapy is extremely beneficial because it addresses the cause of the disease. Just like any other medical treatment, the best way to treat mental illness is by addressing the cause rather than only the symptoms. Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing therapy addresses the trauma from an emotional standpoint. The goal of this form of therapy is to desensitize the trauma and therefore lessen the emotional burden that these events, relationships, or experience have on patients. EMDR has a multitude of benefits including:

  • Decreased triggers
  • Increasing an individual’s ability to maintain long-term sobriety 
  • Treating symptoms of PTSD such as night terrors
  • Decreasing stress
  • Decreasing anxiety
  • Desensitizing the emotional response to trauma
  • Rewiring an individual’s response to triggers 

What is an EMDR Therapy In New Jersey Session Like?

EMDR therapy in New Jersey consists of a number of different phases. Each phase focuses on three main points: past memories, present pain, and future actions. During EMDR sessions individuals will be guided by their therapist through these phases. 

Pre-Evaluation 

The pre-evaluation to EMDR therapy consists of your therapist taking down your previous history in order to create an effective and tailored treatment plan. The pre- evaluation will normally include a full psychological assessment and a detailed inventory of previous traumas. 

Preparation

The preparation phase is when therapists will begin to educate clients on the benefits of EMDR and what they can expect during each session. The most important part of this phase is to help clients understand that they may experience distress while going through the process of EMDR. Therapists will use this time to teach clients coping strategies that will help them quickly calm down, if they become triggered.

Assessment

During this phase the client and therapist will pick a specific incident or thing to target. They will then work together to determine the belief system that the trauma fostered for them.

Desensitization 

During the desensitization process the therapist uses bilateral stimulation to lessen or completely remove the emotional response to the targeted incident or thing.

Installation

The installation phase consists of challenging the old belief systems that the trauma created and replacing them with new, positive belief systems. The goal of this phase is to help clients accept the new and positive beliefs as true.

Closure

After every session the therapist makes sure to have some sort of closure with the client. Since EMDR deals with very traumatic events and experiences it is important to close out each session properly to avoid severe post traumatic stress responses.

Reevaluation 

Once a therapist has completed EMDR treatment with a client they will elevate them. This helps the therapist develop a suitable aftercare plan and determine whether continued EMDR sessions are needed.

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EMDR Therapy In Cherry Hill, NJ

Here at The Healing Center in New Jersey we believe in addressing the root causes of your addiction in order to effectively treat it. More often than not trauma is the start of almost every addiction. Our EMDR therapy in New Jersey can help you process through your trauma and finally give you the chance to achieve long-term recovery. If you or your loved one is struggling with addiction, reach out to our admissions team today.