Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) therapy is a powerful form of psychotherapy that can help you heal from trauma, stress, and painful emotions. EMDR therapy, by design, can help you reprocess and integrate the painful memories of your past. This form of therapy can especially help first responders, doctors, military personnel, and other high-performing individuals heal from the past and unleash their potential. This blog post will cover why EMDR therapy in Wisconsin is a cornerstone of healing from past overwhelming situations and trauma.
What is EMDR Therapy?
EMDR therapy is underpinned by the Adaptive Information Processing model. This model supports that our bodies know how to heal automatically; however, it’s things like our thoughts, judgments, self-doubt, and guilt that get in the way of healing. The AIP model helps to reactivate this innate healing process through bilateral stimulation. The most common forms of bilateral stimulation are side-to-side eye movements or shoulder tapping. Both are equally effective. Other forms of bilateral stimulation include watching a light bar go side-to-side and alternating audio buzzers in one’s ears. As the past painful memories and experiences are processed and integrated into the body, they no longer hold the negative visceral charge or the pain that you presently experience. Thus, you are able to begin to live your life and potential.
Why These Groups Benefit Most from EMDR Therapy
EMDR therapy has shown effectiveness across many different populations. At Revitalize Mental Health, I focus on helping men heal so that they can enjoy life. Here are some populations that I specialize in working with.
- Men – overall, men internalize their emotions, pain, and other inner experiences they don’t want to share with others. This can work temporarily. However, once these things become so bottled up, they will need to come out. Typically, they come out in not-so-unhealthy ways.
- First Responders – police, firefighters, EMTs, all experience high levels of stress, overwhelm, and exposure to trauma on a routine basis. Over time, our bodies will just begin to disconnect as a protective mechanism. However, this disconnection can create havoc in your personal life. This is where EMDR therapy can help you begin to heal.
- Doctors and Healthcare Workers – EMDR is a form of trauma therapy in Wisconsin that can also facilitate healing amongst doctors and other healthcare workers. These professions are routinely exposed to intense, chaotic, and loss of life situations. EMDR can help you turn off from always needing to be on. This can help you connect with your loved ones, yourself, and a wider array of emotions that become numb from these experiences.
- High-Performing Professionals – chronic stress can also lead to mind-body disconnect over time. Fears of failure, not being good enough, and self-doubt can all be healed by targeting these past experiences with EMDR therapy.
- Military Personnel and Veterans – EMDR therapy for veterans and active-duty military personnel can also be beneficial. By healing from past trauma, you decrease the risk of retraumatization in the future. An EMDR therapist can help military personnel veterans heal from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, survivor’s guilt, moral injury, and help re-acclimate to life back in stateside.
An EMDR therapist in Wisconsin can help target and heal a wide array of past traumatic situations of overwhelming events.
How EMDR Works for Trauma & Stress
When we’re exposed to trauma and chronic stress, our bodies naturally shift to meet this demand. The problem with trauma and chronic stress is that our bodies can get stuck in that always-on state. It’s not just like flipping a switch and shutting it off. We need to regulate the body and the nervous system first, so that you feel safe enough to heal. Through the regulation of the body and nervous system, we can heal from past painful experiences
The Benefits You Can Expect
There are many different benefits to EMDR therapy. Part of the wide array of benefits you can experience depends on what you’re seeking EMDR therapy. Most of the time, I’ve seen EMDR therapy help people reconnect to their emotions, connect with loved ones that have been pushed away, heal from past painful experiences, such as sexual abuse, life-threatening situations, guilt and shame, betrayal trauma, and childhood trauma. EMDR therapy can provide healing for many different issues.
What EMDR Therapy Looks Like in Wisconsin
EMDR therapy can be done either virtually or in person. The research shows that EMDR therapy online is just as effective as in-person therapy. There are eight phases to the EMDR therapy protocol. We will start with phase one and work our way through the phases and the memories that caused you pain and discomfort.
Choosing the Right EMDR Therapist in Wisconsin
Finding the right EMDR therapist in Wisconsin can be a challenge. You want to use online directories or Google to find a quality therapist. Most therapists provide a free 15-minute consultation call before starting therapy. I encourage you to use this opportunity to ask them questions, determine if they’ve helped people in your situation before, discuss availability, and the cost per session. Not all EMDR therapists take insurance.
Cost & Insurance Considerations
As mentioned above, not all therapists take insurance. If you want to use insurance, your co-pays and deductibles will vary based on your employment and your insurance plan. Private pay EMDR therapy sessions in Wisconsin range from 150 – $200 a session. There are many benefits to using private pay versus insurance. These can be further discussed in a consultation call with an EMDR therapist near you.
Starting EMDR therapy in Wisconsin, especially for men, can be a challenge. Most men think that everything is okay as long as certain topics, the time of the year, or past experiences aren’t brought up. Allow EMDR therapy to come into those dark spaces and provide healing. This will allow your body to find inner peace.
At Revitalize Mental Health, I’m currently accepting new clients for both in-person and online EMDR therapy in Wisconsin. I specialize in helping high-performing, hard-working men heal, stop self-sabotaging patterns of behavior, regain their confidence, and unleash their potential.
If you would like to start EMDR therapy in Wisconsin, please call 720.295.6703 or follow this link to submit an online form. From there, we’ll schedule a free 15-minute consultation call to ensure a good fit to work together. If we both agree we’re a good fit to work together, then we’ll schedule our first session during that call. I look forward to hearing from you.
