Despite all your hard work in and out of therapy, you can't seem to heal from the past. You "know" that you are "enough" or that you aren't a "bad" person, but it doesn't feel that way. It's not your fault!
Our bodies intuitively know how to heal physical wounds, and emotional wounds are no different. All emotional wounds are held in our emotional brain. Unfortunately. traditional talk therapy doesn't access this part of the brain. This is why you feel like you've plateaued.
EMDR utilizes the body's innate ability to heal, and works with the emotional brain to help process and rewire painful memories that can become "stuck" in our nervous system leading to anxiety, depression, PTSD and addiction.
You don't have to suffer EMDR therapy is available and I would love to work with you!
Find out more on emdria.org
About
Hi, my name is Caitlin, I'm so glad you're here!
Based in Frederick, Maryland, I specialize in offering online EMDR therapy to high-functioning women looking to heal from the past and become the adult they needed when they were younger. I recently became an "EMDR Certified" therapist, meaning that beyond the basic EMDR training I've invested my time and money into advanced training on EMDR and new research developments, so I can best support my clients. I serve clients located in Maryland and Rhode Island.
"When the alarm bell of the emotional brain keeps signaling you are in danger, no amount of insight will silence it. "- Dr. Bessel Van Der Kolk
What is EMDR?
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) is an effective therapy that uses bilateral stimulation to target the emotional brain (where stressful experiences are stored) and helps us to process them. The result is that we are able make connections we wouldn't be able to with traditional talk therapy alone. This helps us to shift the way we feel about our experiences and heals our trauma symptoms.
How is EMDR Different Than Traditional Therapy?
What Can EMDR Help With?
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Personality disorders
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Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and other trauma and stress-related issues
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Sexual assault
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Sleep disturbance
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Substance abuse and addiction
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Violence and abuse
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Anxiety, panic attacks, and phobias
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Chronic Illness and medical issues
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Depression and bipolar disorders
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Dissociative disorders
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Eating disorders
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Grief and loss
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Pain
You can read more about what EMDR can be helpful for by visiting the EMDR International Association website.
How Does EMDR Work?
EMDR works by using the brain's innate ability to heal to reframe memories and help you to change the way you relate to them.
It takes traumatic experiences which can feel like they're happening "now" and helps your brain understand that they were happening "then" and are no longer happening.
This helps your brain to store the memory differently so that when you think of it there is little to no emotional "charge" or distress associated with it. I love this graphic below from the Mighty which sums it up perfectly!
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Frequently Asked Questions
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Are you accepting new clients?Yes! We currently have a few spots available for individual therapy. Ready to dive in? Click the link to schedule a free consultation!
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Do you accept insurance?I am an out-of-network provider, so I do not accept or work directly with insurance companies. However, I'm happy to provide you with a superbill.
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How can I schedule a consultation?Click the link labeled "schedule a free consultation" or go to the contact page and fill out the form.
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What days are you available?I'm in the office Monday-Thursdays each week.
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How often will we meet?I meet with the majority of my clients on a weekly basis. I ask that all new clients commit to meeting weekly for at least the first 6 weeks. This will allow us to start off on a solid foot so you can start seeing progress right away. I may recommend that we increase or decrease the frequency of sessions to best meet your needs.
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How long will I need therapy?I believe honesty is the best policy, and it's hard to say. That depends on your unique situation and symptoms. If you're dealing with complex trauma or have experienced multiple incidents of trauma, you will likely remain in therapy longer than someone with a single-incident experience.
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How long does it take for EMDR to work?EMDR typically delivers results faster than traditional therapy, however, the speed varies based on several factors. The type of issue, your ability to tolerate difficult and positive emotions, and your ability to practice calming skills all play a role. However, most clients feel some shift within the first processing session.
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Who can benefit from EMDR?Anyone! While EMDR was initially created to treat PTSD, its usefulness in treating anxiety, depression, phobias, and many other struggles is widely accepted.
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How does the overall treatment with EMDR look?EMDR focuses first on the past, present and future. The first phase of EMDR treatment is preparation. Following the preparation phase, your therapist will begin to help you identify current day issues and symptoms. Using the EMDR protocol the therapist will help you to identify common link and threads between these symptoms to link them to past memories. Because our brain stores memories in "clusters" almost like clusters of grapes, present day issues can be linked back to earlier experiences. Resolving the "root" of these issues helps to treat the underlying cause of the symptoms. For example, if you have anxiety that has followed you since childhood, we will focus on the time around the start of the symptoms to address the experiences driving the anxiety. To only focus on the symptoms of the anxiety in the present would be like taking an aspirin for a headache caused by a brain tumor rather than working with the brain tumor. Once the past pain has been cleared, present day symptoms will likely decrease significantly as your brain continues to heal. If anything is left unresolved in the present, it is attended to next. Then comes preparation for the future. Many people have fears about healing … how their life will change, how they will function with their new perspective on the world, etc. “Future” work is about being prepared.
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What is the preparation phase and how long does it last?The preparation phase is a catch-all name for the work we do during and in-between sessions to prepare your nervous system for reprocessing painful memories. The focus of this phase is to help you create and hone "resources" that you can use to support yourself during processing. You will learn skills to calm your nervous system and contain memories that will help prepare you for processing. This phase is like the foundation of a house, so its VERY important. Because of this, there's no set time for how long this "should" take.
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How often do I need to meet for therapy?In order for EMDR therapy to be safest and most effective, I ask all my clients to commit to weekly sessions.
Articles that Explain More About How and Why EMDR Works
