EMDR Therapy in Madison, WI
Find an Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) therapist in-person in Madison or online in Wisconsin.
Sometimes, painful experiences continue to affect us long after they’re over. You might notice anxiety, intrusive memories, negative beliefs about yourself, or emotional reactions that seem difficult to explain. These can be from repeated traumatic events, or an isolated traumatic experience.
EMDR therapy can help people process distressing experiences and reduce the impact of trauma on their everyday lives.
At HEART Counseling, we offer Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) therapy in Madison, Wisconsin, and online throughout Wisconsin. Our EMDR-trained therapists support clients navigating trauma, PTSD, CPTSD, and related concerns through compassionate, individualized care.
What Is EMDR Therapy?
Francine Shapiro discovered Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) 1987. She first recognized the effects of eye movements while thinking about disturbing memories.
One of EMDR’s advantages is that it can be used in a focused, short-term treatment capacity, or a long-term, broad form of therapy.
EMDR is an integrative treatment approach. EMDR incorporates elements of psychodynamic, cognitive, experiential, and behavioral therapies.
EMDR also gives the body a central place in the therapy.
When you engage in EMDR, you will use “bilateral stimulation,” or BLS. BLS can include eye movements, or other visual, tactile, or auditory stimuli presented in rhythmic left-right patterned movements.
How Does EMDR Work?
The Adaptive Information Processing (AIP) Model
EMDR is guided by the Adaptive Information Processing (AIP) model. The AIP model is a theory about how we learn. It says that when we learn new information it is stored in memory networks that we already have in our brain. Information in our memory networks then form the bases of our perceptions, attitudes, and behaviors.
What??
Ok. Imagine you are in a new situation. Your body and brain use all five of your senses to understand what’s going on; you are seeing, hearing, smelling, touching, and possibly tasting what is going on around you. Your brain takes that sensory information and tries to understand it by thinking about similar situations or events you have experienced in the past. Our brains want to link, integrate, and connect new information with related, previously-stored information. The AIP model calls these invisible connections in our brain, “memory networks.”
However, problems occur when this new experience is not processed correctly; it doesn’t link up and get stored in its proper memory network in our brain. EMDR believes that upsetting experiences, or trauma, do just this: Traumatic events can’t find an existing memory network. Then, because traumatic events are unable to connect to an existing memory network, the memory of the trauma gets stored in the wrong place – the wrong memory network – in our brain. And that makes it harder for our brain, and our body, to understand and integrate the memory and information.
EMDR’s AIP Model believes that dysfunctionally stored memories lead to undesired behaviors and maladaptive responses.
In other words, traumatic events and experiences that don’t get stored in our brain in the right place can cause us to experience distressing trauma responses. Trauma responses range from upsetting thoughts, emotions, behaviors, and body sensations.
EMDR works to access those incorrectly stored memories, process them, and then help them link to the correct or adaptive memory networks. Once this process is done, we should have adaptive behavioral and emotional responses. In other words, EMDR helps the memory of the traumatic event move from being stored incorrectly in isolation in the brain to be stored correctly in an adaptive, existing memory network.
EMDR believes that our thoughts, emotions, behaviors, and way that our body feels are influenced by our brain’s ability to take in new experiences and store the information about these new experiences with existing memories, or “memory networks.”
Does EMDR Work?: The Evidence
According to the National Center for PTSD, EMDR has earned the highest recommendation for treating PTSD across most clinical practice guidelines in the United States including those from:
EMDR is also recognized internationally as an evidence-based and effective treatment for PTSD and trauma by:
EMDR is still considered a “newer” treatment, but the amount of research we have on EMDR’s effects on reducing PTSD and trauma symptoms is growing. Current research shows that EMDR works as well as – and lasts as long as – older, more researched therapies like CBT. Some research even shows that EMDR has similar effects in managing and reducing PTSD and trauma symptoms as medication.
Frequently Asked Questions About EMDR Therapy
1. What is EMDR therapy, and how does it work?
EMDR is an evidence-based therapy that helps people process distressing memories and experiences. During treatment, your therapist may guide you through side-to-side eye movements, alternating taps, or sounds while you focus on aspects of a difficult memory. The goal is to reduce the distress associated with that experience.
2. Do I have to talk about my trauma during EMDR?
Not necessarily! Unlike most traditional talk therapies, EMDR does not always require you to describe traumatic experiences in detail. Your therapist will still need to understand your concerns and history, but you can work together to determine what feels appropriate to share.
3. How many EMDR therapy sessions will I need?
The number of sessions varies depending on your experiences, goals, and individual needs. Some people benefit from a relatively short course (as few as ~6-8 sessions) of EMDR, while others need more time for preparation and processing. Your therapist will work with you to develop a personalized treatment plan.
4. Can EMDR therapy help with anxiety, even if I don’t have PTSD?
Potentially! Although EMDR has the strongest research support for treating PTSD, it may also help with certain anxiety-related concerns, particularly when distress is connected to difficult past experiences. Your therapist can help determine whether EMDR, CBT, IFS, or another approach might be most appropriate for you.
5. Can I receive EMDR therapy online in Wisconsin?
Yes! HEART Counseling offers EMDR therapy in person in Madison, WI, and through telehealth across Wisconsin. EMDR can be adapted for virtual sessions using techniques such as guided eye movements, alternating sounds, or tapping. Since the COVID-19 pandemic, more and more research is emerging on the effectiveness of EMDR conducted via telehealth. So far, research shows that online EMDR has been associated with positive mental health outcomes. Your therapist will help determine whether online EMDR is a good fit for your needs.
6. How do I find an EMDR therapist in Madison, WI?
At HEART Counseling, we have several EMDR-trained clinicians who support clients navigating trauma, PTSD, and other concerns. We prioritize thoughtfully matching prospective clients with therapists whose experience, therapeutic approaches, and personalities align with client’s individual needs and preferences.
Meet Our Therapists or Contact HEART Counseling to explore your options.
Still looking for more information?
We recommend visiting he VA National Center for PTSD’s EMDR overview and EMDRIA, the EMDR International Association.
EMDR is offered in-person in Madison, Wisconsin as well as via telehealth.
At HEART Counseling Abby DeRoche, Elise Reichle, Savannah Buttermore, Robin Kinney, Julie Jensen, Amy Racki, Sam Egelhoff, and Erin Neill are trained in EMDR.
