Explanations
EMDR Therapy Definition:
According to the EMDR International Association (EMDRIA), EMDR can help the client with the resolution of traumatic and disturbing adverse life experiences. EMDR accomplishes this resolution by implementing a unique standardized set of procedures and clinical protocols that incorporate dual focus of attention and alternating bilateral visual, auditory and/or tactile stimulation. This process activates the components of memory-disturbing life events and facilitates resumption of adaptive information processing and integration. This treatment is particularly beneficial for clients with addiction and co-occurring trauma and abuse histories. Since its development and standardization of therapeutic protocol, EMDR therapy has helped millions of people of all ages relieve many types of psychological stress. EMDR would be considered an integrative psychotherapy approach intended to treat the psychological disorder related to trauma events, anxiety, social anxiety and depression.
How is EMDR Therapy Done Via Telehealth?
At the Healing Light therapy, we used a safe and confidential HIPAA compliant telehealth platform. Clients are taught specific skills used during EMDR therapy to help them with trauma reprocessing. We use a variety of ways to help our clients based on their own comfort level. We are experienced in teaching many different ways of administering EMDR therapy via the telehealth platform.
How Does EMDR Therapy Treat Trauma?
Old disturbing material from past trauma is stored in the brain and stays there raw and unprocessed like a tangled ball of yarn. When triggers appear within the environment, clients experience a wide range of emotions such as memories, flashbacks, avoidance behaviors, nightmares and disturbing physical symptoms and emotions. During EMDR reprocessing, a movement is fascinated between two regions of the brain and trauma memories are consolidated and processed. The trauma memories through EMDR reprocessing are processed without engaging into an extensive verbal recall for the benefit of the clients.
Why Use CBT?
CBT explores the client’s patterns of behavior leading to self-destructive actions and beliefs that direct these thoughts.
CBT allows clients and therapists to work together in a therapeutic relationship to identify harmful thought patterns and actively seek alternate thinking patterns.
How is CBT Used:
It’s common for individuals struggling with substance use disorder to have destructive, negative thinking. Not recognizing these thought patterns are harmful, they seek treatment for depression or other external influences. Since cognition affects our wellbeing, changing harmful thought patterns is essential. CBT addresses harmful thought patterns, which help clients recognize their ability to practice alternative ways of thinking, and regulates distressing emotions and harmful behavior.
As a research-based treatment modality, CBT is an effective treatment for substance abuse, eating disorders, and specific mental health diagnoses. An active therapeutic modality, CBT is present-oriented, problem-focused, and goal-directed, which may provide the following benefits:
CBT can be provided in group and individual therapy. CBT works on deconstructing thought patterns that manifest as beliefs about self and others. During therapy the client is taught to make connections between their maladaptive thought patterns that lend themselves to destructive and maladaptive behaviors. CBT skills are useful, practical and helpful strategies that can be incorporated into the client’s everyday life.
CBT helps clients formulate coping strategies to handle potential stressors or difficulties that they encounter in their daily lives to help them construct a road to face their daily struggles and difficulties.
What is DBT:
Dialectical Behavior therapy is an empirically tested approach to counseling that works by incorporating mindfulness-based strategies and the dialectics to improve client’s ability to cope with life stressors, situations, and adverse mental health symptoms.
How is DBT Skills Used:
Clients are provided psycho education and trained in specific skill sets to use in challenging life situations. The therapist helps the client learn the essentials of DBT to help the client manage their adverse symptoms.
Why is DBT Used in Therapy?
As per the definition by WebMD. The term “dialectical” comes from the idea that bringing together two opposites in therapy — acceptance and change — brings better results than either one alone. A unique aspect of DBT is its focus on acceptance of a patient’s experience as a way for therapists to reassure and validate their experience in an attempt to balance the work needed to bring about the necessary changes within the clients.
How Does DBT Work?
Comprehensive DBT skills taught in therapy focus on four ways to enhance life skills:
Distress tolerance: Feeling intense emotions like anger without reacting impulsively or using self-injury or substance abuse to dampen distress.
Emotion regulation: Recognizing, labeling, and adjusting emotions.
Mindfulness: Becoming more aware of self and others and attentive to the present moment. Recognizing, labeling, and adjusting emotions.
What Is Mindfulness – Based Cognitive Therapy?
Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy builds upon the principles of cognitive therapy by using techniques such as mindfulness meditation to teach people to consciously pay attention to their thoughts and feelings without placing any judgments upon them.
There are a number of mindfulness techniques and exercises that are utilized as a part of MBCT. Some of these include:
Meditation:
People may practice guided or self-directed meditation that helps them gain a greater awareness of their body, thoughts, and breathing. (This is an essential component of EMDR therapy resourcing)
Body Scan Exercise:
This involves lying down and bringing awareness and attention to different areas of the body. People usually begin at their toes and move up through the body until they reach the top of the head. (This is an essential component of EMDR therapy resourcing).
Mindfulness Practices:
Mindfulness involves becoming more aware of the present moment. It’s something that can be practiced during meditation, but people can also incorporate these activities into the things they do every day. (This is an essential component of EMDR therapy resourcing, clients are taught meditation in preparation of EMDR therapy).
Mindfulness Stretching:
This activity involves stretching mindfully to help bring awareness to both the body and mind.
Observing Your Experience:
(How are you doing right now?)
Focusing on your breath.
Attending To Your Body and Physical Sensations:
Other MBCT techniques include walking and sitting meditations, sitting with thoughts, and sitting with sounds.
What MBCT Can Help With:
Research suggests that MBCT can be effective for helping individuals who have experienced multiple episodes of depression. While it was originally developed to treat depression, it has also been shown to be effective for other uses including:
- Anxiety Disorders.
- Bipolar Disorder.
- Depression.
- Trauma.
Benefits of MBCT
According to verywellmind.com. MBCT utilizes elements of cognitive therapy to help you recognize and reassess the maladaptive patterns of negative thoughts in clients and replace them with positive thoughts that more closely reflect reality. It is the marriage/ combination of mindfulness and cognitive therapy that makes MBCT so effective. Mindfulness helps you observe and identify your feelings while cognitive therapy teaches you to interrupt automatic thought processes and work through feelings in a healthy way.