EMDR therapy
Mary-Lauren O’Crowley, NCC, LPC Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing (EMDR) is an interactive therapy founded by Francine Shapiro back in 1987. Unlike traditional psychotherapy models, EMDR is nontraditional psychotherapy rooted in mindfulness and non-judgmental awareness, resulting in transformative healing. EMDR is one of the treatment modalities that follows the adaptive information processing (AIP) model. According to AIP, people with PTSD have disturbing thoughts that remain unprocessed over time. As per the World Health Organization (WHO), trauma, negative thoughts, and maladaptive behaviors result from unprocessed memories. In most cases, people fear processing such thoughts because of the high…
Read MoreAmanda Ann Gregory, LCPC, EMDR Certified Your loved one is participating in therapy, and you desperately want to talk to their therapist. How can you do this? As a therapist, I encounter this question often. There are many reasons why you might want to connect with a loved one’s therapist. Here are some the most common that I’ve encountered: You feel that your loved one is not being honest with their therapist. You want to provide information…
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Amanda Ann Gregory, LCPC, EMDR Certified Panic attacks can be terrifying, as you may feel as though you are losing control of your mind or body. Here are the common symptoms of a panic attack: Racing heart beat Shortness of breath Nausea Chest tightness Dry mouth Sweating Chills/hot flashes Numbness/tingling Headache Intense fear/anxiety Tightness in throat Feeling faint/dizzy Feeling detached from the world or yourself A feeling of impending doom If you experience a panic attack, what…
Read MoreAmanda Ann Gregory, LCPC, EMDR Certified The vagus nerve has received a lot of attention from the psychology and medical research communities. This is because this nerve may play an integral part in treating physical and psychological illnesses in the future. In fact, there is preliminary evidence that stimulation of the vagus nerve may help treat depression, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and inflammatory bowel disease (Breit, 2018). Trauma researchers have focused on the vagus nerve as a…
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Amanda Ann Gregory, LCPC, EMDR It’s official, you’re in a rut. You feel stuck in your boring daily routine at work. You might feel as if you’re living in an endless loop or treadmill as each workday feels the same. Being in a rut can negatively impact your mood causing sadness, hopelessness, boredom, irritability, and a lack of motivation to name a few. When leaving your job isn’t the answer, you need to find ways to get…
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Amanda Ann Gregory, LCPC, EMDR Certified You’re ready to participate in therapy, but you’re not sure which type of therapy would meet your needs. If your primary therapeutic need is related to your relationships, should you seek individual, couples or family therapy? Should I Choose Individual, Couples, or Family Therapy to Address Relationship Issues? Consider these questions to help you decide: What’s your primary issue? How my personal issues (thoughts, actions, emotions, traumas, attachment…
Read MoreAmanda Ann Gregory, LCPC, EMDR Certified Here’s a hard truth: we tend to be more compassionate and empathic toward the people we love and less empathetic and compassion toward ourselves. Imagine that your loved one has lost their beloved dog. They say to you, “I’m devastated. I shouldn’t be feeling this way, she was just a dog. I’m ridiculous and I just need to get over it.” What would you say to them? You might say something…
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Amanda Ann Gregory, LCPC, EMDR Certified Therapist Transitional stress is a certain emotional and/or physical response to a life transition. Here are some tips to help you cope with transitional stress: Embrace Awareness Step back and notice what’s happening in your life. Can you identify one or more transitions that you are experiencing now? A transition does not need to be a huge, life changing event, but may be something that appears small or insignificant. Finishing a…
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Amanda Ann Gregory, LCPC, EMDR Certified Therapist Life transitions are more common than you might realize. Examples of such transitions that might come to mind are common ones such as the following: Starting a new job/academic program. Losing or leaving a job. Making a career change. Graduating. Retirement. Empty nesting. Moving to a new home/relocating. …
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Amanda Ann Gregory, LCPC Are there certain experiences that can commonly cause trauma responses in children? Yes, and we have identified the most common of these experiences, which are known as Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs). In 1995 and 1997, CDC-Kaiser-Permanente conducted a massive study to identify the most common experiences that can cause a child to suffer trauma in childhood and later in adulthood. These experiences- called “ACEs” – have helped adults better understand not only the…
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