EMDR Therapy

For adults in New York City

Sabrina Tropper NYC Therapist - EMDR.jpg
 

Sometimes Talking Isn’t Enough

You don’t have to be completely ‘traumatized’ to benefit from EMDR therapy. But if you are, I would definitely recommend it. Some of the most common issues that are treated with EMDR include: being easily startled, ruminating, sleep issues, panic attacks, addiction, and stress-related issues. 

Whatever the reason you may be wondering about this kind of therapy, if you’ve ever felt a little off or struggled to understand why you react to things the way that you do, then EMDR can untangle things in a way that just talking through things can’t.

EMDR can help with…

  • Dysfunctional Patterns

    Dysfunctional patterns or habits can come in many forms, such as binge eating or drinking, numbing out watching hours of TV or playing video games, or compulsively shopping to name a few. It’s likely that you know these patterns are unhealthy, but you just can’t figure out how to stop. And then the guilt, embarrassment or shame sets in and the whole pattern repeats itself all over again. EMDR has been used for years in treating dysfunctional habits and addiction, and it can really turn things around.

  • Healthcare Work

    Maybe you feel like you “don’t really have trauma” or feel like your experience “wasn’t that bad” compared to other medical staff or essential workers through COVID. The fact is, you can probably recognize the symptoms of PTSD, and you either don’t meet the full criteria, or you don’t have it at all. Or, if you do have it you’re scared that nothing will help. No matter the reason, you are here now, visiting this page, wondering if this kind of treatment might help you in some way. If that is the case, then it’s worth it to try.

  • Relationship Challenges

    Some people start therapy because of difficult relationships that have left them feeling alone or like something is ‘wrong’ with them. Others because they find themselves repeating patterns with romantic partners despite their best efforts. These individuals often have trouble trusting their partners, worrying their partners have ‘lost interest’, or they tend to end things before they even get started. EMDR has helped many people with these challenges navigate their relationships with increased clarity and confidence.

EMDR

How does EMDR work?

 

When I first heard about EMDR, I thought it was some weird new age thing that couldn’t possibly work, let alone be taken seriously. But then, I learned that a lot of therapists who I respect were using it, and their clients were improving; quickly. After learning more about it, I realized that it actually blends some of the best trauma-informed therapies (including CBT and body based therapies) with the addition of bilateral stimulation (eye movements or tapping, etc.) into a unified treatment. It also works very quickly and has minimal side effects. This was very appealing to me.

So, I got trained in it, and started using it with clients who were progressing slowly with talk-therapy. The results were surprising, to say the least. Many of my clients stopped ruminating, struggling with or living in fear. Their lives improved significantly. I now use some form of EMDR with almost everyone I work with, and it’s transformed many lives.

The Technical Stuff

How does EMDR work?

 

EMDR or Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing therapy, is a big ‘ol’ mouthful! What does it actually mean, and how does it work?

Basically, a therapist will direct you to talk through parts of your story, challenges or struggle, while moving your eyes back and forth several times until the fear or distress goes away. The theory is that the eye movements are intended to activate each side of your body / brain hemispheres (right/left) while you reprocess the memories to the point where they no longer affect you. Sometimes tapping left to right or using sounds through headphones are used instead of eye movements. This just depends on your therapist, your preference, or both. 

Summing it Up

How does EMDR work?

 

While EMDR isn’t a panacea for all of the world’s problems, and it isn’t suitable for everyone, it really is an excellent therapy that has helped people across the world heal from their difficulties and improve their lives. If you think you might benefit from EMDR, it’s worth it to learn more and give it a try. For additional information, take a look here.

Getting Started

.01

It starts with a quick 15 minute phone call (free of charge) to determine if we would work well together. If so, we’ll book an appointment.

.02

In our first meeting I’ll ask you all about your background so we can get a solid understanding of what brought you here today.

.03

We’ll start working at it together!