Denver, Colorado EMDR Therapy

Eye Movement Desensitization reprocessing

What is EMDR? EMDR means Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing. EMDR is an integrative psychotherapy approach that has been extensively researched and proven effective for the treatment of trauma. EMDR is a set of standardized protocols that incorporates elements from many different treatment approaches. EMDR therapy has helped millions of people of all ages relieve many types of psychological stress. Health organizations around the world, including the World Health Organization, and the Department of Defense/Department of Veterans Affairs, endorse EMDR as a safe and effective form of trauma therapy, particularly for individuals who suffer from PTSD.

The EMDR Process

Your first meeting with Marc Coulter, LPC for EMDR therapy will be a discussion on the issues you would like to treat with EMDR as well as your personal history including social, biological, and psychological history, including previous experiences with EMDR treatment and other counseling experiences. Following this, your Denver, Colorado EMDR counselor will get a better understanding of your current emotional distress management techniques. If needed, he will teach you some helpful stress management skills that will be useful both between and during EMDR sessions, including bi-lateral stimulation through tapping. Through the first few sessions, you and Marc will determine if EMDR is appropriate for you.

Once the preliminary work is complete, you will meet with Marc Coulter to identify the initial targets for EMDR. These targets are most often specific images or memories about a traumatic event. For each target, you will determine a presently held feeling about the target, and feeling that you would rather hold about the target. One of these targets will be selected for the first round of EMDR therapy.

The treatment portion of EMDR consists of two parts, desensitization and installation. During desensitization, the negative, currently held feelings about the target are focused on and explored as the clinician guides the bi-lateral stimulation process either through eye-movements, sound, or vibrating hand-held paddles. Similarly, in installation, the preferred, positive feelings are focused on while you are guided through this eye movement. In my Denver office, I provide an environment where you can easily and comfortably explore these thoughts so that healing may occur.

After each round of therapy, there will typically be a "body scan". This entails looking for any tension in your body brought up by the target that may be indicative of unresolved thoughts. If there is any remaining tensions, that is an indication that additional treatment may be needed. If there is not, then the treatment is considered successful and additional targets can be identified for treatment. 

Who can benefit from EMDR?

Scientific research has established EMDR as effective for post-traumatic stress. However, clinicians also have reported success using EMDR in treatment of the following conditions:

• Panic attacks
• Complicated grief
• Dissociative disorders
• Disturbing memories
• Phobias
• Pain disorders
• Performance anxiety
• Stress reduction
• Addictions
• Sexual and/or Physical abuse
• Body dysmorphic disorders
• Personality Disorders

When you are looking at counseling and therapy options in Denver, Colorado, it is wise to keep EMDR in mind. Marc Coulter, LPC is a licensed, EMDR trained professional counselor. For more information on this treatment, visit www.emdria.org

303-388-9749