When you cannot quite switch off

Your shoulders stay up through an entirely quiet evening. An unanswered message turns into an hour of going back over what you might have done. You lie down exhausted and your thoughts get louder rather than softer.

There is room to talk about all of that without first having to prove that your past was bad enough to count. I pick up where talk therapy leaves off. Most people who come to me have already done some talking, found it helpful as far as it went, and are now looking for something that reaches further.

What EMDR is, and what it is for

EMDR stands for Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing. In everyday terms it is therapy aimed at making a memory less distressing to carry, not at taking it away from you.

It is one of the recommended trauma focused treatments for PTSD. If you arrived here after searching PTSD therapies or post traumatic stress treatment, the next step is not to diagnose yourself. It is to have a conversation about what you are actually experiencing. The strongest evidence is for PTSD; anything beyond that needs individual assessment rather than a broad claim.

What actually happens in the room

For part of a session you hold a chosen memory in mind while I guide short sets of side to side eye movements, alternating sounds, or tapping, and we check in between sets about what you noticed.

Researchers are still working out precisely why those elements help. I would rather tell you that than claim I am rewiring your brain.

There are eight phases to EMDR: history taking, preparation, assessment, desensitization, installation, body scan, closure, and reevaluation. Eight phases does not mean eight appointments. Getting to know you and getting you ready come before any memory work, and settling and reviewing come after. Needing more preparation than you expected is not a sign you are doing this badly.

Sometimes we do have to sit with difficult things, including things you have never said out loud to anyone. I can handle the heavy stuff, and so can you.

The practical details

103 Continental Place, Suite 204, Brentwood, TN 37027, in Maryland Farms. Monday to Friday, 8 am to 6 pm.

EMDR and Brainspotting are in person only. There are ways to do both online, and I have found they are safest and most effective in the room, so that is how I do them.

Sessions are $195 and generally weekly. I do not take insurance, but I provide a superbill you can submit to your insurer for out of network reimbursement, and it is worth ringing them first to find out what they would actually pay. If you cancel within 48 hours, the session is charged in full.