Affirmative EMDR for Children, Adolescents and Adults

“When we have bad or negative events in our lives like abuse, bullying, divorce, accidents, losses and death of a loved one, or violence in the home, among others, the brain creates “files” or “apps” that contain all the feelings, thoughts, and body sensations connected to this event. When the event is really bad or has happened several times, these files/apps get overloaded and the brain can’t do the work of sorting things out and putting all the pieces of the event together.

Different life events we call triggers can open up these files/apps or “click” on them. A “click” may be a classmate making fun of us, being ignored, not getting what we are asking for, parents asking us to clean up our room and so on. When these “clicks” open up the files/apps, we start to have the negative feelings, thoughts, and body reactions we had when the bad stuff happened.

EMDR helps the brain organize these files and put all the pieces together. When the files/apps are finally organized, the “clicks” of everyday life won’t have the power to make us feel angry, sad, or shameful, or to think that we are not worthy or that we are not enough, or to make us yell, become aggressive or do things we regret later.”

-Ana M. Gomez, author of EMDR Therapy and Adjunct Approaches with Children: Complex Trauma, Attachment, and Dissociation

What is it: Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) is an extensively -researched and well established therapy approach for the treatment of PTSD in children, adolescents and adults. Ongoing research supports positive clinical outcomes showing EMDR therapy as a helpful treatment for anxiety, depression, OCD, chronic pain, addictions, eating disorders and other distressing life experiences ( cases such as OCD and eating disorders, treatment is integrative with best practices for evidence based, multidisciplinary treatment).

Emdr is a structured therapeutic approach comprised of variety of protocols and procedures. This incudes the more well known standard protocol which is intended for single event trauma for clients who don’t have a history of complex trauma and dissociation. Emdr also includes many specialized protocols and procedures that clinicians must be trained in with additional training beyond the basic EMDR training which focuses on the standard protocol. Emdr with children also uses modified protocols that must be learned in advanced training. Screening and assessment for dissociation is part of the assessment phase and helps to ensure the correct protocols are used.

Emdr doesn’t require talking in detail about trauma and stressors to be effective and does not require homework. Emdr uses parts work, somatic techniques, imagery, mindfulness and cognitive behavioral therapy and is incredibly customizable for autistic clients, ADHDers and AUDHDers and to be used as part of gender affirming care.

In the desensitization and reprocessing phases of EMDR , the therapist encourages the client in short sets to briefly focus on the disturbing memory or material while simultaneously experiencing bilateral stimulation (typically eye movements or butterfly hug tapping) , which is associated with a reduction in the vividness and emotion associated with trauma memories. This enables the brain to resolve the intensity of emotional trauma and to shift internalized negative cognitions into new insight, wisdom and resilience.

Length: The number of sessions required varies depending on the issues being addressed. If there is a single type of traumatic incident that is the subject of the EMDR then it can typically be resolved in five or six sessions, including the intake and preparation. Emdr will take longer in cases of histories of extensive traumatic events, with complex trauma and dissociation and with cooccurring issues that require integrative approaches during the stabilization phase.

The amazing thing about EMDR is that the resolution tends to more thorough and long standing than talk therapy, as we can address the root of the problem, any present triggers associated with the problem and any future scenarios that may be creating anticipatory anxiety or avoidance patterns.

Adults : Shir provides EMDR and EMDR intensives with adults.

Children, Teens and Young adults: Shir utilizes EMDR , which is a therapeutic approach comprised of many specialized protocols and procedures, as a brain based tool in ongoing affirmative therapy for LGBTQ+ youth and young adults. This has been effective as an approach complex trauma and dissociation, bullying, grief/loss, internalized transphobia, perfectionism , test anxiety, performance anxiety, body image and disordered eating, and depression that has not responded to other approaches.

EMDR For PTSD that cooccurs with OCD and/ or disordered eating and eating disorders :

• as part of a phase based approach and In conjunction with Inference based CBT and / or ERP- EMDR is beneficial to enhance OCD treatment.

• With eating disorders, the stabilization phase of emdr includes stabilization of nutrition and medical needs relating to the eating disorder, which occur before the later processing phases take place.

Note: Like many other professionalized healing approaches, bilateral Stimulation was not started by white trauma specialists. While emdr was technically founded by Dr. Francine Shapiro it’s important to note that bilateral stimulation has long been used within Indigenous and African healing traditions, something that goes unrecognized when emdr is presented as a novel approach founded by a white clinician. This is also true for somatic therapy and many other professionalized healing approaches. Emdr is not the only therapy used for PTSD and other approaches Can be integrated with it. Emdr can also be utilized in a way that is centered on your own set of healing traditions and practices and to help you ground and center in your community level resilience resources.

Emdr certified: Shir is an EMDR certified therapist and Consultant in Training. Certified therapists must meet a number of criteria to go from “EMDR Trained” to “EMDR Certified.” This includes advanced trainings , 20 hours of consultation and completion of at least 50 emdr sessions with at least 25 clients .

another option…EMDR Intensives

• Free 15-minute consultation to assess for eligibility.

• Care coordination with providers

• Treatment workbook for use before, during and after sessions.

• A 90 minute first session focusing on assessment and resourcing. During this session we will review history, do a series of customized assessments, map out a visual, easy to follow treatment plan and install resources in preparation for processing.

• Two Three-Hour sessions or 4 90-minute EMDR intensive sessions are in person or virtual.

• A 15 minute follow-up call or video meeting to help you decide your next steps and get any additional resources or referrals you need.

  See Services for details on fees for EMDR in its various formats and time lengths

Contact if you’re ready to sign up !