Trauma Therapy Denver

Want To Learn More About EMDR?

What exactly is EMDR?

Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing may be one way that your Empowered Living Collective therapist addresses trauma in counseling. EMDR is a highly structured and effective trauma therapy Denver that uses eye movements to lessen the painful effects of traumatic memories, in some cases neutralizing the memory entirely. Because traumatic memories are stored differently than “normal” ones, EMDR rewires the way your brain recalls a difficult experience.

Using side-to-side eye movements, tapping, and/or sounds, your EMDR therapist will have you nonverbally focus on a “target” image for your traumatic memory. As you repeat the process of bilateral stimulation, you are likely to notice a reduction in your triggers, which is your brain reprocessing the trauma in a more adaptable way.

Studies show that 100 percent of single-trauma survivors and 77 percent of multiple-trauma survivors no longer met the criteria for PTSD when EMDR was incorporated into their treatment. [1]

Do I have to discuss the details of what happened to me?

Not necessarily. While you will always be encouraged and empowered to speak openly in the therapy space, you will never be forced to share anything that makes you uncomfortable with your trauma therapist.

One of the reasons we use EMDR in treatment for trauma and PTSD is because it’s very gentle and doesn’t require verbal processing of the traumatic event. In EMDR sessions, you may be asked to identify key aspects of what occurred, but you are never required to share explicit details. And even if you don’t feel comfortable sharing any aspect of your trauma, we can still offer you effective coping skills to help calm your mind and body when triggered.

How long does trauma therapy Denver take?

Time spent in therapy depends on a lot of different factors, including proximity to the traumatic event and/or if you sustained multiple or ongoing traumas. In those cases, treatment may take longer than for those with single-incident traumas.

That said, EMDR is a relatively quick process when compared to other forms of trauma counseling, as it directly addresses a traumatic memory inside the brain’s neural networks. Typically, it takes our clients anywhere from 3 to 12 sessions to neutralize a specific memory.