Are you looking for Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing Therapy (EMDR) therapy in Massachusetts? 

At Handel Behavioral Health, our credentialed EMDR therapists are here to help you address and recover from mental health struggles like trauma, PTSD, anxiety, depression, grief, low self-esteem, substance use disorder, and other mood and co-occurring disorders. 

We are a multidisciplinary team at Handel Behavioral Health. We are committed to helping you overcome the challenges that you are facing, so that you may live a more authentic and fulfilled life. 

Our trained therapists are here to offer EMDR therapy online in Massachusetts or in-person from our offices in Amherst, West Springfield, Wilbraham, Natick, and Franklin. Contact us today at (413) 343-4357 to schedule an appointment.

What is EMDR Therapy?

EMDR is a type of therapy that focuses on how the brain handles and stores traumatic memories. It is one of the most effective treatment options used when helping people recover from PTSD and Acute Stress Disorder. 

Ongoing research suggests that EMDR treatment also supports people struggling with anxiety, depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), eating disorders, substance use disorder and addiction, chronic pain, and other distressing struggles. 

EMDR therapy is designed to help resolve unprocessed traumatic memories in the brain. 

“When someone experiences a traumatic life event, their memory of that event does not get fully processed into their long term memory. The emotions, thoughts, beliefs, and physical sensations from the event stay stuck in their short term memory, which can lead to the development of PTSD and other trauma-related disorders,” explains Jordan Castonguay, Licensed Mental Health Counselor, EMDR certified therapist, and Certified Intuitive Eating Counselor.

How does EMDR Therapy Differ from Talk Therapy?

EMDR therapy differs from traditional forms of talk therapy, such as Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT), because it does not require the client to talk in detail about negative or traumatic experiences. 

Instead, the client holds the image of the experience in their mind while the therapist guides them with bilateral stimulation techniques such as eye movements, sounds, or self-tapping.

What Does Bilateral Stimulation Help With?

By incorporating bilateral stimulation, EMDR therapy copies the natural eye movements that occur during Rapid Eye Movement (REM) sleep. REM sleep is the phase of our sleep when we’re able to process experiences and memories. 

Bilateral stimulation techniques used during EMDR allow clients to access and reprocess the traumatic memories that have been stuck in their minds and bodies. 

By working with a trained therapist to address these unprocessed experiences, clients can effectively change their emotional responses to past painful events and learn how to navigate current situations with more freedom and security.

Who Can Benefit From EMDR Therapy?

EMDR therapy can help children and adults of all ages recover from the following challenges:

• Anxiety, panic attacks, and phobias
• Chronic illness and medical issues
• Depression 
• Dissociative disorders
• Eating disorders
• Grief and loss
• Sexual assault
• Sleep disturbances
• Substance use disorder and addiction
• Violence and abuse
• PTSD and other stress-related issues
• Personality disorders
• Performance anxiety
• Pain

What Does an EMDR Therapy Session Involve?

EMDR Therapy involves an eight-phase treatment method. The phases are broken up into history taking, client preparation, assessment, desensitization, installation, body scan, closure, and evaluating the progress of treatment.

“The overall goal of EMDR therapy is to help clients reprocess and develop new insights about the traumatic events they have endured. In the end clients should be able to think about these events without experiencing any form of distress,” says Jordan. 

The eight-phase treatment method involves:

1. History taking: The client and therapist work together to get a full history for the client and identify a particular memory to target, as well as current triggers and future goals. 
2. Client preparation: The therapist prepares the client for treatment by explaining what treatment will involve, and how treatment will help the client safely process their memories.
3. Assessment: The therapist asks the client to identify and assess the memory on a cognitive, affective, behavioral, and physiological level. Rapid Eye Movement, or REM action, helps the client re-process their traumatic memory. 
4. Desensitization: The client is asked to focus on the memory and hold it in mind while using their eyes to track the therapist’s hands as they move back and forth across the client’s field of vision. The client then reports whatever new thoughts have emerged. The process continues until the memory is no longer distressing to the client. 
5. Installation: Installation strengthens the preferred positive cognition.
6. Body scan: Clients are asked to observe their physical response while thinking about the traumatic event and the positive cognition, and identify any leftover distress. 
7. Closure: Closure is used to end the session. If the memory was not fully processed in the session, the therapist will offer the client specific instructions and techniques. 
8. Re-evaluation: The therapist evaluates the client’s current psychological state and what affect the treatment has had. Additional memories might be targeted or continued focus on the previous memory might be necessary.

An EMDR session will typically last between 60-90 minutes, depending on the length of treatment and the amount of trauma the patient has endured.

“I’ll usually spend at least a few months working on the preparation phase of EMDR with a client. I want to make sure they can effectively manage their distressing symptoms before confronting their trauma more directly in the following phases,” says Jordan.

Start Working with an Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) Therapist in Massachusetts Today:

At Handel Behavioral Health, we have many therapists who are trained in EMDR therapy and who are ready to support you through your emotional healing. Our therapists are committed to providing a safe and supportive space for clients to begin their healing and recovery journey. 

If you’re ready to start working with an EMDR therapist online in Massachusetts, or in-person from our offices in Amherst, Franklin, West Springfield, Wilbraham, and Natick, we’re here to help. 

Contact us today at (413) 343-4357 to schedule an appointment with one of our EMDR trained therapists. 

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