Counseling Services of Barbara Reade, L.C.P.C.
Bel Air, Maryland 21014

Phone: 410-803-1510

Email: reade.lcpc@yahoo.com  

EMDR Therapy

Who can benefit from EMDR Therapy?

EMDR therapy can be beneficial to anyone who suffers from anxiety, panic, depression, or the traumatic symptoms you will see listed in our article on post-traumatic stress disorder. Anyone who has attempted other types of therapies, and has not found relief from painful feelings, thoughts, or behaviors, could benefit from EMDR therapy.

Symptoms that often bring people to EMDR therapy treatment include:

       Depression or sadness

       anxiety or nervousness

       feelings of panic, fright, or terror, sometimes accompanied with difficulty in breathing, chest pain, and/or rapid heartbeat

       problems with concentration or memory

       feelings of overwhelm

       painful feelings related to a life-threatening or dangerous event/s

       avoidance

       nightmares or other difficulty sleeping

       difficulties with eating behaviors

       unusual irritability or anger

       numbness or feelings of detachment

       feelings that are troublesome and difficult to verbalize or identify

These are only a few of the symptoms that EMDR therapy can treat. If you are unsure if this therapy would be appropriate for you please e-mail your questions to Barbara Reade, M.S., L.C.P.C.

What is EMDR Therapy?

EMDR therapy is a type of therapy that uses bilateral, neurological stimulation along with a structured spoken therapy designed specifically for use with EMDR bilateral stimulation. Eye movement is one type of bilateral stimulation used in this therapy. Also utilized is left-right auditory stimulation and/or left-right hand stimulation. This is an eight step process that appears to allow the brain to release neurological messages that have been blocked, or unable to change with other methods.

Usually this process takes between two and 12 sessions to complete. An extensive psychological history is taken before EMDR sessions begin. This can from one and four sessions usually. Sometimes this initial information gathering must take more time. When this does occur more sessions may be needed to successfully complete the EMDR process.

What makes EMDR Therapy different from other therapies?

The EMDR process has been shown, after much scientific study, to take less sessions than other therapies to successfully treat depression, anxiety, and/or trauma symptoms.

EMDR, has been shown, through scientific research, to work longer and more effectively than other commonly used therapies today.

What are the benefits of EMDR therapy?

       EMDR therapy takes less time

       EMDR therapy works long after therapy sessions have stopped

       EMDR is cost-effective because it takes less time and last much longer

       EMDR studies validate actual biochemical brain changes that correlate with the symptoms to clients report had been relieved.  This means –you have chosen a well researched therapy

       Few other therapies have been so thoroughly researched and none other have shown such significant long term results.

What is the latest research on EMDR?

Some of the latest research has been done by Dr. Peter Levine, at UCLA. A test group of patients were given color-contrast MRI’s before EMDR treatment, mapping the area of the brain that held the negative symptom (of each patient). This new type of MRI procedure maps the area of the brain where an emotion is being evoked. Dr. Levine used this data, along with Pet Scan brain scans of each patient, to further measure and identify patient responses.

The EMDR process was then done with each patient. When a patient reported feeling symptom-free, he or she was then re-tested with a Pet Scan of the brain. Pre-EMDR and post-EMDR pet scans were compared.

The results showed these "hot spots" had disappeared along with the patients symptoms.

In a study done by Carlson et al (1998) a three month post test found 9 out of 10 Vietnam combat survivors free of symptoms of PTSD (post traumatic stress disorder). Another 15 month study showed patients a symptom free after 15 months.

Few other therapies have been so thoroughly researched and none other have shown such significant long term results.

Interested in other EMDR research? Please visit http://www.emdr.org/

What other therapies are offered? When? And Why?

Advanced Recovery Therapy LLC also offers play therapy for children, Gestalt therapy, transactional analysis, cognitive therapy, behavioral therapy, brief solution focused therapy, family systems therapy, Couples counseling, parenting education, and Adlerian therapy. This is done because not every situation is appropriate for the use of EMDR therapy.

 
Because our practice treats a full range of trauma symptoms, depression, anxiety, and other emotional problems, each person is assessed individually, and the best therapy for that person’s needs is utilized. 

In this way our practice can insure the meeting of a very broad range of needs and a wider expertise and choice of treatment options. In this way we can offer the highest quality of service possible for each person we treat.