What is EMDR Therapy?

A person looking up to the stars at night. Showing someone who could break through the negative thoughts with EMDR therapy in Broomfield, CO. With support from an EMDR therapist you can start bringing joy like this to your life.

EMDR Therapy is a therapeutic modality that is used to help clients heal from traumatic events. EMDR stands for eye movement desensitization and reprocessing. This modality was originally created by Dr. Francine Shapiro and found effective for clients impacted by post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Dr. Shapiro discovered this modality by chance, after observing for herself that spontaneous repeated eye moments had a desensitizing effect on previously distressing thoughts. Since it was developed in 1987 however, it is effective at treating a wide variety of additional presenting issues and life disturbances including depression, anxiety, panic, divorce, and life transitions to name a few.

How Does EMDR Therapy work?

A yellow sticky note with a lightbulb on a cork board. Representing the questions that can surround the process of EMDR therapy in Denver. With support of the best EMDR therapist in Denver you can learn the process to get unstuck.

After a traumatic or distressing event, sometimes a person can find that they are having difficulty integrating the information from that event. That event, due to how our body and brain respond during stress, stays and is stored unprocessed The pictures, thoughts, sounds, scents, and feelings may become stuck and cause distressing symptoms day to day. EMDR therapy at our Colorado-based therapy practice helps individuals identify stuck pieces, and use the brain’s inherent system to process and re-integrate those stuck pieces. This modality will not erase any memories, instead, these memories will no longer be tied to and activate the same distress that is present prior to treatment.

How does eye movement fit into this?

A black & white abstract image of an eye. Representing the use of EMDR therapy in Colorado to get through negative memories. With support of a therapist whether in Denver or Broomfield you can get support through EMDR counseling from anywhere in CO.

EMDR therapists in Colorado use eye movement as a way to stimulate both hemispheres of the brain and activate the brain’s inherent information-processing system. Other methods of activating both hemispheres of the brain, or bi-lateral dual attention stimulation, have been developed. Sometimes alternating hand taps or auditory tones can be used as well. This bilateral dual attention stimulation, or is what helps process and integrate stuck, distressing information.

How can I begin EMDR therapy in Broomfield, Denver, or Throughout Colorado?

Discover a path to healing and transformation with the experts at our Denver-based therapy practice or our Broomfield-based therapy practice. If you're facing challenges like post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, anxiety, panic, divorce, or life transitions, EMDR therapy could be the key to unlocking a brighter future. Our EMDR therapists specialize in helping individuals identify and process stuck pieces, using the brain's natural system to reintegrate memories without activating distress. Take the first step towards a more empowered and resilient you.

  1. Schedule a consultation with our compassionate therapists at WellMinded Counseling

  2. Start exploring the possibilities of EMDR therapy with support

  3. Unlock a brighter future without negative memories

OTHER COUNSELING SERVICES AT WELLMINDED COUNSELING in Colorado & Florida

Therapy for depression isn’t the only service we offer. WellMinded Counseling offers the following counseling services:

The Body Keeps the Score

Open book with bookmark in the center. Plants in the background, represents reading through trauma struggles.

“The Body Keeps the Score” is a book written by Bessel Van Der Kolk, M.D. The author is both a therapist, as well as a scientific researcher on psychology and trauma. He explores advances in the research of trauma and how we have learned how trauma affects us both physically and mentally. It explores how trauma affects us, using real examples that the author has experienced with his clients.

The effects of trauma are far-reaching, and they may affect individuals dealing with trauma and PTSD in more ways than they realize. Many individuals who have experienced trauma struggle to understand and communicate their feelings. It can be very helpful for these individuals to understand how their own minds have been affected by what they have experienced. “The Body Keeps the Score” can be a helpful tool for gaining more understanding.

Wooden doll, in action of walking in relation to trauma affecting the body.

Bessel Van der Kolk states that trauma is not the events that we have experienced, but how our body responds to those events. Trauma keeps our brains in “fight or flight” mode and doesn’t allow us to feel safe. Recognizing how trauma has affected us and taking steps to allow ourselves to feel safe is important in recovery.

Do you ever find yourself:

  • Having flashbacks, nightmares, or intrusive memories of events that have happened to you in the past.

  • Avoiding things that remind you of the traumatic event(s) that happened to you because they cause you distress.

  • Having persistent numbness/apathy and detachment, or anxiety and hypervigilance?

It might be worth talking with a therapist or reading “The Body Keeps the Score”. These are normal responses to traumatic events; it’s the way that our brain tries to keep us alive. It is possible to make changes that will allow you to experience safety, support, trust, and happiness. You can reach out to a trauma-informed therapist to help you work through this, and therapy as well as tools like “The Body Keeps the Score” can help you gain greater understanding and less judgment towards the things that you are struggling with.

3 teachings from the author

Individual walking along the beach with a dog during sunset.

  • He teaches us what trauma is, and how it is different from everyday stressors that we experience. He explains how one event may cause trauma for one individual, but a different individual, would not be as affected by it.

  • He teaches how trauma affects us both mentally and physically - how it can have many symptoms that may be difficult for someone experiencing trauma to understand.

  • Lastly, he teaches ways that make it possible for someone who has had a traumatic experience to recover from that trauma, such as EMDR therapy. He explains them in ways that may make it easier for someone experiencing trauma to choose which method may be the right one for them.

Here is a helpful YouTube video in which Bessel van der Kolk details his views on trauma and things that may help someone work through it. What is trauma?

OTHER COUNSELING SERVICES OFFERED AT WELLMINDED COUNSELING

Therapy for depression isn’t the only service we offer. WellMinded Counseling offers the following counseling services:

What is Trauma Informed Therapy?

What does trauma treatment in therapy look like?

Photo of various size rocks stacked on top a larger rock to represent balance

First let’s begin by understanding that no one’s experience of trauma will be the same as another one’s experience of trauma, therefore trauma treatment will vary from individual to individual. When you are ready to depart on your journey of understanding your trauma, it is up to you to find what type of therapist fits best with you and your experiences.

What is trauma-informed therapy?

When one is looking to begin a trauma therapy journey, it is important to understand what trauma-informed therapy is. Trauma-informed therapists understand the all-encompassing impact of trauma on emotions, thoughts, the body, and the nervous system. They conceptualize symptoms of trauma as survival mechanisms rather than problems. Trauma-informed therapists actively work to create a safe and non-judgmental atmosphere for their clients through empowerment and collaboration. They acknowledge and understand that experiences of oppression i.e., homophobia, sexism, racism, and ableism are experiences of trauma, and actively work to be allies to marginalized communities. The purpose of trauma-informed therapy is to emphasize safety, collaboration, and empowerment while offering healthy skills and strategies to help one better understand, cope, and process emotions and memories tied to traumatic experiences.  

Trauma Therapy Treatment

There are many different approaches to treating trauma and PTSD. It is important to understand that one single approach will not fit everyone, therefore you and your therapist should collaborate in order to find what best fits your needs. Here are some well-known evidence-based treatments for trauma-informed therapy:

Two individual on a couch having a conversation. This photo represents processing trauma informed therapy in Broomfield CO.

Cognitive Processing Therapy

CPT helps clients to learn new, more positive ways of addressing trauma-related beliefs and emotions. CPT shines a light on maladaptive or self-blaming thoughts caused by trauma and guides clients in challenging those thoughts and behaviors.

Prolonged Exposure Therapy (PE)

PE teaches individuals to gradually approach their trauma-related memories, feelings, and situations. The goal of this kind of therapy is to guide clients in learning that trauma-related memories and cues are not dangerous and to reform one’s thoughts and behaviors associated with those cues.

EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing)

EMDR believes that trauma and deeply held negative beliefs as a result of that trauma get trapped in the body. Thoughts, feelings, and physical sensations are activated while the stimulation helps reduce the emotional and physiological reaction to the trauma. EMDR uses bilateral sensory stimulation, memory recall, and grounding resources to reduce distress and desensitize clients to traumatic memory.

Other forms of trauma-informed therapy that aren’t specific to only trauma treatment but are still beneficial include:

Psychotherapy

An individual walking down a road with two balloons. This photo represents processing trauma informed therapy in Broomfield CO.

Also known as talk therapy, gives one an opportunity to speak about their trauma and work through the healing process.

Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)

The goal of DBT is to help clients learn how to better regulate emotions. DBT helps instill new skills in order to help clients change unhealthy behaviors.

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)

ACT helps one to develop psychological flexibility and is a form of behavioral therapy that combines mindfulness skills with the practice of self-acceptance. ACT encourages one to embrace their thoughts and feelings rather than fighting or feeling guilty for them.

If you are someone who has been affected by trauma you are not alone and there is hope. Here at WellMinded Counseling, we have various practitioners who practice using a variety of trauma-informed treatment approaches and can help you on your journey.

OTHER COUNSELING SERVICES OFFERED AT WELLMINDED COUNSELING

Therapy for depression isn’t the only service we offer. WellMinded Counseling offers the following counseling services:

Navigating Addictive Relationships

“I’m miserable when I’m with them, but I miss them horribly when I’m not with them.”

Have you ever felt this in a relationship? If so, you may be in something called an addictive relationship. Addictive relationships are characterized by:

  Being “on” and “off” again and again (many failed attempts at ending the relationship).

 You allow yourself to be pulled back into the relationship, even if you’ve tried to end it before.

Have a hard time going “no contact” with the person (if you’ve decided to end things). You may keep a window “cracked” open just in case.

You feel like you may never find somebody else again.

You give yourself reasons for staying in the relationship that is skewed (not accurate with the reality of the situation.

Even though others have pointed out that the relationship is unhealthy and likely to remain, you feel “stuck” and don’t know how to get out.

If you’re trying to leave a relationship that is characterized as “addictive”, here are some helpful tips to keep in mind:

Identify your needs and focus on getting those needs met more effectively.

Engage in as many activities daily as you can that help bring you a sense of peace and tranquility or calmness.

Practice daily gratitude. Keep a gratitude journal and start your day off by noting 3 things to be grateful for.

Find a support group of like-minded individuals who can understand what you’re going through.

Make a list of the things that you don’t like that your partner has done to you and feel your feelings around that.

Identify and learn from relationship games and roles where you tend to fall into the rescuer, blame, or victim.

Identify the relationship “crazy cycle.” For instance: anticipation – encounter – momentary bliss – confusion – departure – longing – despair. This is just an example; identify the cycle within your own relationship.

Write down what is being fulfilled in your addictive relationship (a sense of belonging, feeling wanted, etc.). Notice the temporary “fix” you encounter when you are with your person; identify the “promise” or “hope” temporarily being fulfilled.

Write down the common obsessive thoughts you have regarding your person.

Consider talking with a professional therapist.

 OTHER COUNSELING SERVICES OFFERED AT WELLMINDED COUNSELING

Therapy for depression isn’t the only service we offer. WellMinded Counseling offers the following counseling services:

What is emotion focused therapy?

Two people sitting across from each other with mugs in their hands. This photo represents how EFT therapy in Broomfield, CO can help you create stronger relationships.

You’re looking for a therapist or even just considering counseling because you’re struggling in your relationship. You and your partner just can’t get on the same page and you keep getting stuck in the same cycle with the same argument or you can’t seem to get past that one thing.

You feel distant, tired, exasperated, hopeless, and alone…but this is your person.

You don’t want to lose them. You want to hold on tight and you’re afraid of making the wrong move or pushing them away. One of you is constantly seeking out the other who only seems to go away. Perhaps you’re in preservation mode and are desperately avoiding upsetting your partner. You may feel like you have to keep your emotions under lock and key, or like you wear your emotions on your sleeve. Either way you’re both feeling alone on separate islands.

An outstretched hand with a lightbulb floating above it. This photo represents how EFT therapy in Broomfield, CO can spark change in your relationship.

This is where Emotion Focused Therapy comes in

In a nutshell, EFT focuses on bonding and emotional security within the relationship. It can be practiced with individuals, couples, and families, and is practiced around the world.

It goes beyond skill building (you know… those communication skills and rules for fair fighting you stumbled on but have never been able to stick with) and actually aims to evoke emotional experiences in therapy. 

I know what you’re thinking, “We’re focusing on feelings in therapy? YIKES.”

Yep. You heard right. We do this because research shows that working on what’s happening here and now and experiencing your emotions in a safe place where you’re met with empathy and validation is what creates lasting change. Together, we look at patterns within the relationship where you continue to get stuck, preventing you from feeling any different despite those skills you learned. 

EFT can be broken into 3 basic steps:

Eggs in a carton with different faces drawn on them. This photo represents how an eft therapist will help you better understand your emotions.

De-escalation

Your therapist will work to de-escalate your negative cycle of interactions to help you see and understand what’s happening in your relationship

Restructuring

Your therapist will help you open up about your fears (not about spiders… real deep-seated fears) using empathy and validation, so as to not push each other away

Consolidation

Your therapist will help you recognize how you got into a negative cycle and how to stop it in its tracks. This way you can continue to have vulnerable and meaningful conversations in the future

You’ll learn how to listen and attune to your partner’s emotional needs and respond in more productive ways. It is hard work and so worth it in the end. Now get out there and break those negative cycles!

BEGIN WORKING WITH AN EFT THERAPIST IN broomfield, co or tampa, fl

If you’re looking for support in your relationship, you may want to consider reaching out to an EFT therapist. A therapist can help you gain more clarity around your emotions and work through the negative patterns showing up in your relationship. If you are interested in getting set up with an EFT therapist at WellMinded Counseling, you can follow these steps to start:

  1. Contact our counseling office to schedule a free 15 minute consultation

  2. Meet with one of our EFT therapists and learn more about our therapy services

  3. Learn how to strengthen your connection with your partner through EFT


OTHER COUNSELING SERVICES OFFERED AT WELLMINDED COUNSELING

Emotion Focused Therapy is just one of the many services that our team of caring therapists provide. WellMinded Counseling offers the following counseling services: