EMDR Therapy
Treat your Trauma Or PTSD with EMDR Therapy
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) is a powerful evidence-based therapy practice to treat trauma and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). EMDR is particularly effective for those whose traumatic memories still impact their present lives.
With EMDR therapy, you can overcome trauma and move towards a fulfilling and joyful life. Our EMDR Therapists can help you live a full life that isn't dictated by the impacts of trauma.
EMDR therapy is endorsed by the American Psychiatric Association and the International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies. It is currently used by the United States Department of Veterans Affairs, the Department of Defense, the Israeli National Council for Mental Health and the United Kingdom Department of Health, among others, for the treatment of trauma-related symptoms.
How does EMDR Therapy Work?
Traumatic memories are stored in the brain differently than other kinds of memories. During a traumatic event, the fight-or-flight response kicks in to cope with the immediate situation. But the brain often cannot make sense of the event. The information processing system of the brain gets disrupted. As a result, the memory of the event gets stored in a fragmented and unfinished fashion that keeps reemerging in the present. The memory of the traumatic event seems frozen. The painful thoughts, feelings, sensations and images associated with the traumatic event seem to be locked in the nervous system.
EMDR therapy shifts how trauma is stored in the brain and reduces the disturbing emotions, sensations, symptoms, and beliefs associated with those experiences. Through the use of eye movements, EMDR therapy fundamentally changes the way the memory is stored.
The EMDR process can reduce sensitivity that you have around the traumatic memory, painful thoughts or feelings. The emotional charge associated with the traumatic memory is eliminated or reduced. Clients are often amazed that issues they’ve worked on for years in talk therapy become suddenly lighter after several EMDR therapy sessions.
What Issues can be Successfully Treated with EMDR Therapy?
EMDR therapy is proven to be highly effective and long lasting to treat trauma and PTSD.
What happens during an EMDR session?
During the first few sessions, your EMDR therapist will begin with understanding your personal history and your current issues and symptoms. Once the EMDR therapist has a good lay of the land, you and the therapist will agree on key traumatic memories that you want to work on.
The EMDR therapist will guide you to recall the memory while you engage in rapid eye movement. Usually, the eye movement follow the moving finger of the EMDR therapist. Some EMDR therapists use tapping or musical tones instead.
It is during this time that stuck memory gets reprocessed and integrated. Many clients report that EMDR therapy is relaxing and enjoy the sense of relief from its effect.
The EMDR therapist will continue to work with you and focus on specific memories until the intense affect associated with them is eliminated or reduced.
EMDR and Childhood Trauma
Childhood trauma can be successfully treated with EMDR therapy. It often takes longer to treat childhood trauma than trauma experienced as an adult. The good news is that EMDR has been proven to be effective to treat childhood trauma. Significant benefits are often observed within a few months of starting EMDR therapy for childhood trauma.
Top Rated New York EMDR Therapists
Choosing the right EMDR therapist can be a challenge, which is why we strive to make it as easy as possible to find top-rated EMDR counselors in New York. We are familiar with the many ways that trauma and post-traumatic stress disorder can affect a person’s life.
Top-rated EMDR Therapists in New York
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) therapy is a highly effective treatment designed to help individuals process traumatic experiences, whether single incidents or complex trauma. This may include sexual abuse, sexual assault, ongoing abuse or neglect, infidelity, accidents, or natural disasters. Through a series of bilateral stimulation techniques, EMDR allows clients to share any associations that come up—such as pictures, thoughts, feelings, and body sensations—in connection with the distressing experience. By engaging both the mind and body, the therapy facilitates the healing process, helping clients move towards newer, more positive beliefs and providing relief from symptoms of trauma. Our experienced therapists use evidence-based treatment approaches, including EMDR, a somatic therapy, to support clients through difficult life transitions while encouraging the development of healthy relationships and improving overall quality of life.
Whether you're coping with traumatic events or going through significant life transitions, EMDR therapy for trauma offers a supportive environment tailored to your personal history. Our goal is to help you learn to body scan and notice how your body responds to distress, guiding you through the healing journey. By accepting new clients, we are committed to making relief accessible to more people, providing them with the tools they need to process and heal from trauma. Reach out today to begin your EMDR journey with our skilled and compassionate team, and take the first step towards reclaiming your mental well-being and improving your quality of life.
Alyssa Sardis, LMHC
Alyssa guides clients through trauma recovery with EMDR and CBT, creating a collaborative space for healing and resilience, while helping individuals manage anxiety, depression, PTSD, and complex family dynamics.
Carol Black, LHMC
Carol collaborates with clients to uncover strengths and passions. Specializing in EMDR, she helps navigate transitions, anxiety, depression, and trauma, using CBT and DBT to guide clients toward a more purposeful life.
Sandra Swartwout, LMHC
Sandra uses various therapeutic techniques, including EMDR, CBT, and Mindfulness-Based Therapy, to encourage healing and growth within a safe and empowering counseling environment.
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