EMDR Therapy
Trauma Therapy in Maryland
Most people just want to know if EMDR is effective. The answer to that is yes!
EMDR is a highly effective trauma therapy endorsed by many organizations, including the American Psychological Association, the Department of Veterans Affairs, and the World Health Organization.
It is effective for both adults and adolescents. If you're searching for effective trauma therapy in Maryland, EMDR therapy offers a proven approach to help individuals process and heal from past experiences.
What is EMDR Therapy?
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) is a psychotherapy method designed to assist individuals in healing from the effects of trauma.
It operates on the understanding that traumatic experiences can overwhelm the brain’s natural processing abilities, leaving memories stuck in a raw, unprocessed state.
EMDR is a trauma therapy that utilizes bilateral stimulation—such as guided eye movements or auditory cues—to activate both sides of the brain, helping clients process and integrate traumatic memories. During this process, a therapist helps the individual revisit and reframe their trauma, promoting healing and fostering healthier coping mechanisms.
Through EMDR trauma therapy in Maryland, we help clients release the emotional hold of traumatic memories and regain control of their lives.
Can EMDR help with anxiety and depression?
Although originally developed as a trauma therapy, EMDR therapy can be helpful for people struggling with anxiety and depression, even if they haven’t gone through a major traumatic event.
Sometimes, difficult experiences, negative thoughts, or unresolved emotions from the past can contribute to ongoing feelings of anxiety or depression.
Trauma therapy in Maryland, including evidence-based EMDR techniques, can provide relief from symptoms of PTSD, anxiety, and depression.
EMDR helps by guiding people through these difficult memories or thoughts in a safe way, allowing their brains to process and let go of the emotional pain connected to them. This process can reduce anxiety, ease depression, and help people feel more in control of their emotions.
How long does EMDR therapy take?
EMDR therapy is often faster than traditional talk therapy, helping people work through their issues more quickly.
However, the length of treatment can vary depending on individual needs. While many people move into the reprocessing stage early on, some might need time to build emotional stability and learn how to manage their feelings before diving into trauma therapy work.
This ensures that they’re in a good place to handle the emotions that come up during therapy. The therapist will guide this process at a pace that feels right for each person
What are the stages of EMDR therapy?
EMDR therapy takes an eight-phase approach, beginning with assessment and preparation to ensure the client is emotionally ready.
The early stages of this trauma therapy focus on understanding the client's history and building their emotional resources, such as calming techniques, before moving into the reprocessing phase.
During reprocessing, clients revisit distressing memories while the therapist uses bilateral stimulation to help them process and reduce emotional pain.
Each session is tailored to the client's needs, and the therapist continually monitors their progress to determine the best course of action. The final stages include closure and reevaluation to ensure lasting progress.
In EMDR therapy, "processing" means helping the brain naturally sort through emotions, thoughts, and physical reactions related to an experience.
When an experience is fully processed, a person can recognize it as a negative event but also connect it with positive insights, such as lessons learned, personal strength, or how it can influence future actions.
Processing allows someone to make sense of the experience without feeling emotionally overwhelmed or disturbed by it anymore.
For those seeking compassionate and professional trauma therapy in Maryland, our EMDR practitioners are here to support your healing journey.
What do you mean by ‘processing’ or ‘reprocessing’?
Our trauma therapy in Maryland incorporates EMDR to address deep-rooted pain and create lasting positive changes.
EMDR is different from traditional talk therapy or other trauma therapy because it focuses less on talking through problems and more on helping the brain process difficult memories or feelings in a structured way.
While talk therapy often involves discussing your thoughts and emotions to gain insight, EMDR uses techniques like eye movements or tapping to help the brain heal from painful experiences.
This approach can help people work through issues more effectively, especially if the problems are connected to past experiences that haven't been fully processed. However, both types of therapy aim to improve emotional well-being, and some people may benefit from a combination of the two.
At Ballast Health and Wellness, we specialize in trauma therapy in Maryland, using EMDR to guide clients toward recovery and resilience.
