EMDR Therapy
in New York
Reprocess trauma, be liberated from the past, and build the life you’ve been wanting
Are you ready to reprocess the past and feel more empowered in your future?
You’ve done it before. You’ve been in traditional talk therapy, spent countless hours “doing the work,” but something is missing…
Unless reprocessed, past traumas will keep popping up like a tortuous game of whack-a-mole.
You’re sick of the nightmares, the flashbacks, your heart racing and responding to everyday situations as if they’re threats and you’re unsafe. You’re sick of the anxiety and worthlessness that you just can’t seem to rid, no matter how much you talk about them. Countless therapists have told you how helpful deep breathing and meditation are, but you’re done managing your triggers, you want to stop being triggered. You want change.
You know why you feel this way, but now you want to do something about it. You have identified the negative self talk and shame that keeps creeping back up, as well as the events that have created and reinforced these messages. Cognitively you know that you’re not “worthless” and that you are “good enough,” yet each time you say those words or picture a memory, you don’t FEEL it. You have insight into abandonment issues or attachment issues, why its hard to trust others, feelings that you’re destined to be alone, or somehow that it was you’re fault (it wasn’t), but you’re done with the insight. You want change.
Change is here
By reprocessing trauma through EMDR, you will rid yourself of the moles rather than continuously playing a game of catch up.
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) is a type of therapy that utilizes bilateral stimulation and a structured and evidenced base approach, in order to reprocess traumas in order to come to new, adaptive, conclusions and beliefs about yourself. Since trauma isn’t stored in your mind, talking can only do so much. Instead, trauma is stored in the body. EMDR is a full body experience that helps integrate and reprocess trauma. By targeting the trauma by briefly and safely connecting you with the experience, and applying bilateral stimulation in order to work through the trauma, your brain gets unstuck and comes to new adaptive beliefs and resolutions. Clients who go through EMDR therapy often report decreased panic attacks, decreased flash backs, increased self worth, and overall that the traumatic experience “seems distant,” or “fuzzy,” “almost as if it is under water.”
How EMDR Therapy Can Help You
Increase self esteem
Increase self worth
Learn emotion regulation skills
Decrease flashbacks
Trauma Therapy - sexual, emotional, physical
Learn coping and grounding skills
Break the cycle of unhelpful family patterns passed through generations
Decrease panic attacks
Therapy for vicarious trauma
Reduce anxiety
Reduce depression
Increase self compassion
Decrease nightmares
Therapy for PTSD
Reprocess the past, explore the present, transform your future
Frequently Asked Questions about EMDR Therapy in New York
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EMDR therapy can be especially helpful for people who have been in therapy before, may have increased their insight and awareness, yet don’t feel different. EMDR is a body and mind approach, and utilizes bilateral stimulation in order to reprocess traumas and take action from the insight you have built. It is helpful in targeting negative self beliefs and traumas.
EMDR can also be helpful if this is your first time in therapy! I will guide you through exploring and identifying areas of your past that you want to reprocess.
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EMDR can feel very different from traditional talk therapy. EMDR typically is very structured with 8 phases and essentially scripts for the therapist to guide the client through. During the first two phases, your therapist will guide you through exploring memories and experiences that shifted how you view yourself. You will identify negative beliefs, as well as the experiences that created and reinforced them. At the same time, your therapist will help you build coping skills in order to self soothe and regulate when you encounter triggers or distressing experiences.
During reprocessing, the therapist speaks very little. This is because reprocessing happens largely within the client and though the therapist checks in, they don't need to know all of the details of what is going on. The therapist is merely a guide for the client to connect with what they need to in order to reprocess. EMDR is often compared to sitting on a train looking out the window. During reprocessing, all that you need to do is let whatever comes up, come up. Let the train go wherever it may, and just notice it. Occasionally, the therapist will "stop the train" and ask you what you notice. All you need to do is fill them in and then continue with the process.
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EMDR can bring up distressing memories in order to reprocess them. With this in mind, EMDR may not be a good fit for folks who are experiencing houselessness or other unstable living conditions, or folks who are in active domestic violence relationships. If you have concerns, bring them up during your free consultation, and Lea will help determine what course of therapy is best for you at this time.
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Absolutely! EMDR is helpful for acute, one-off, traumatic events, and also for folks who have experienced multiple, layered, traumas across their lives. Lea has tremendous experience with complex trauma and focuses on building safety and stability skills in order to reprocess complex traumas.
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Yes. Video sessions are conducted via a HIPAA compliant, confidential, platform. You will have the same level of privacy, confidentiality, and HIPAA security as in person sessions.
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Your provider will walk you through any steps and answer specific questions to ensure a smooth experience. There are several ways to apply bilateral stimulation (BLS), which helps with reprocessing, and your therapist will walk you through your options. Before any appointment where BLS is used, your therapist will send you a link to any tools that may be needed or helpful. All tools are free of charge for clients.
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EMDR can absolutely be done online. There are various tools EMDR clinicians can share in order to make EMDR accessible and helpful via online therapy. Many clinicians have even seen better results from virtual EMDR rather than in-person, and speculate it is because the client can join from the comfort and safety of their own home. The considerations for virtual EMDR are otherwise similar to virtual therapy generally - make sure you have stable connection, are in a private space, and video is encouraged.
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Complete the contact form to schedule a free 15 minute phone consultation. Lea will respond within 24 hours to schedule a call to make sure she’s a good fit for your needs.