EMDR Therapy in Nashville
Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) therapy is one of the newer options in mental health treatments available today. It provides an effective method to help people who have suffered trauma to move on from these negative memories and experiences. No matter how long ago your trauma occurred, it can still have a profound effect on the way that you think, feel, and act. EMDR can help you to overcome the effects of your trauma in order to live a more peaceful and fulfilling life. At Arbor Wellness, we offer EMDR therapy in Nashville, TN as part of an overall program to treat mental illness and addiction.
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What is EMDR Therapy?
EMDR is a type of therapy that uses lights to stimulate and alter eye movements. This type of therapy focuses on helping people to process and overcome past trauma. EMDR therapy Nashville has gained popularity over the last several years. It is highly effective in helping people to reduce and even eliminate some of the symptoms that come with diagnoses such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). It also helps retrain the brain in how it processes memories of traumatic events.
EMDR must be conducted by clinicians specially trained in performing this type of therapy. They may use special types of equipment during the process. EMDR is painless and non-invasive, often providing results such as a reduction in anxiety levels and flashbacks fairly quickly, depending on the individual.
How Does EMDR Therapy in Nashville, TN Work?
There are a few different methods for performing EMDR therapy in Nashville. The therapist will use lights or other items to help direct a person’s eye movements while they talk about past traumatic events that impacted their lives. The therapist guides the client to put more positive thoughts in place in order to help reduce the panic, anxiety, and other side effects that often accompany recalling a traumatic event.
Alternatively, some therapists instruct the individual to follow their hand movements or use tapping motions with their fingers during the sessions. Several sessions of EMDR are required in order to achieve the desired effect. The treatment is divided into several phases that take place in a specific order.
Eight Phases of EMDR Therapy
EMDR therapy in Nashville includes eight distinct phases completed in a specific order. The eight phases are:
History Taking and Treatment Planning: The therapist conducts an initial conversation to understand the person’s history of trauma and what can be accomplished by using EMDR. A plan of treatment is established and each step is explained so the individual knows what to expect.
Preparation: The therapist helps set expectations for what goals can be accomplished. The patient can ask questions and express any fears or concerns they have. During this time, the therapist and client work to establish a relationship built on trust and comfort. They also discuss coping techniques that can be used when uncomfortable emotions arise during the upcoming EMDR sessions.
Assessment: The specific traumatic event that will be addressed is identified, including how it makes the person feel and think as a result. Baseline measures are set using the Subjective Units of Disturbance (SUD) and Validity of Cognition (VOC) scales.
Desensitization: The therapist directs a person to use side-to-side eye movements in response to verbal instructions, sounds, or tapping motions while the individual discusses the traumatic event. Often during this phase, people experience new images, emotions, and thoughts related to the trauma.
Installation: The patient develops a positive belief system that replaces how they previously reacted when remembering their trauma.
Body scan: The patient holds the traumatic event and their new positive beliefs in their minds simultaneously while scanning the body from top to bottom. This allows them to reprocess any negative disturbances that remain.
Closure: The patient is asked to keep of record of any emotional disturbances that occur between sessions. The therapist goes over stress-reducing techniques that can be used when they happen.
Reevaluation: The therapist performs a review of what has taken place over the previous phases and assesses any additional targets that need to be addressed. If any follow-up sessions are needed, they can be set up.
What Mental Health Disorders Does Our EMDR Therapy Treat in Nashville, TN?
EMDR primarily comes into play for treating people with PTSD and other difficulties stemming from experiencing trauma. They often exist in a cycle of reliving their trauma over and over via events like flashbacks or nightmares. People with PTSD who undergo EMDR often find a significant reduction in their symptoms, with a large percentage reaching a point at which their symptoms completely stop.
Another mental health disorder that EMDR can help improve is an anxiety disorder. Our EMDR therapy in Nashville has been found to be very effective in reducing anxiety. It also helps those who have anxiety as a result of another mental or physical problem. The biggest benefit of this therapy for anxiety is that it provides long-lasting symptom relief. One study found that just a single one to two-hour EMDR therapy session was effective in reducing or eliminating anxiety for four weeks.
While EMDR is most commonly known as a treatment for trauma, it can actually benefit a host of other conditions. Therapists who specialize in EMDR therapy in Nashville can use it to address a wide range of conditions, including:
- Bipolar disorder
- Chronic pain
- Depressive disorders
- Dissociative disorders
- Eating disorders
- Grief and loss
- Anxiety Disorders
- Personality disorders
- Sexual abuse
- Substance use disorders
How Effective is EMDR Therapy?
Studies continue on the effectiveness of EMDR therapy but many have already shown how much positive impact it can have on those who use it. The National Library of Medicine reported that 24 controlled trials showed that people often experience positive effects when using EMDR therapy to treat trauma. In fact, seven of ten studies done showed that EMDR can be faster and/or more effective in treating trauma than using cognitive behavioral therapy.
A 2015 study of people receiving inpatient treatment for depression found that 68% of those who used EMDR therapy were considered to be in full remission after treatment. They also experienced fewer relapses in depressive symptoms a year later compared to those who did not use EMDR.
Anyone considering using our Nashville EMDR therapy can discuss their specific situation with one of our trained therapists. From there, an estimation of what results to expect can take place.
Our Programs that Incorporate EMDR Therapy in Nashville, Tennessee
We include EMDR therapy Nashville as part of all of our programs in order to provide access to this valuable tool to everyone. Our programs include:
- Residential: Residents live in our facility and receive round-the-clock care.
- Partial Hospitalization Program (PHP): One level below residential treatment but allows the individual to live in their own home while receiving care.
- Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP): This level of outpatient care includes attending therapy sessions three to four days per week.
Our Nashville Mental Health Treatment Center
Having a comfortable space where people can heal and recover from their mental health conditions is important to us. We offer many different amenities and services that are designed with each persons unique mental health needs in mind. Take a look at our mental health campus today!
Side Effects of EMDR Therapy
EMDR provides a safe, non-invasive type of therapy that does not require medications. As can happen with many types of therapy, potential side effects exist with EMDR. They prove to be minimal if they occur, and the therapist providing the treatment can help the individual cope with the side effects both in the moment they happen and if they occur outside of treatment sessions. Possible side effects of EMDR include:
- Lightheadedness
- Vivid dreams
- Remembering new traumatic memories
- An increase in distressing memories
- Heightened emotions during and immediately after treatment
For most people, these symptoms fade as treatment continues. It is important to share any of these side effects with the therapist so that they can help the person interpret and process the side effects.
Who Should Try EMDR Therapy?
Anyone suffering from PTSD or who has dealt with trauma in their past, even if undiagnosed, can try EMDR in an effort to reduce or stop the symptoms they experience. It can also help those who deal with anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder, personality disorders, and disassociative disorders. EMDR can also help people with substance use disorders and eating disorders. Additionally, it is often used to treat the grieving process and chronic pain.
Begin EMDR Therapy in Nashville at Arbor Wellness
If you have experienced trauma, whether recently or long ago, you likely live with uncomfortable side effects. Our EMDR therapy in Nashville can help significantly change your situation by reducing and even eliminating many of the symptoms that come with having experienced trauma. Remember that you do not have to spend the rest of your life dealing with flashbacks and anxiety. Your healing from trauma can start now.
Visit our admissions page today and start the process of putting trauma behind you. We are happy to answer any questions you have about EMDR and our treatment programs.
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