Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing is a mental health treatment technique used to help alleviate distress and symptoms associated with traumatic memories and other adverse life experiences.. The goal of EMDR and it’s 8-phase protocol is to promote healing through the mind and body using rapid eye movements guided by the therapist. At CJ Counseling, the therapist will walk clients through what each phase entails to make sure they feel comfortable before moving forward.

Trauma comes in all forms. From a child losing his or her favorite stuffed animal to an adult grieving the loss of a loved one. It can be defined as an event that causes a lasting emotional response that often results from living through a distressing event. “Trauma is not what happens to us. But what we hold inside in the absence of an empathetic witness” (Peter Levine, SE). Therapeutic frameworks such as EMDR and Polyvagal practices are incorporated to help clients take steps toward the healing they desire, helping the wounded parts of a person re-integrate with the whole of their authentic being.

Anxiety is a sympathetic nervous system state response that often feels like a sense of fear, dread, and uneasiness. It can also manifest in physical symptoms such as rapid heartbeat, restlessness, and tension. It is often a protective response to perceived danger, whether physical or emotional. As humans, our neural circuits allow our bodies to register whether our environment is safe or dangerous. We have an internal alarm system that is constantly assessing our world. Through EMDR and intrapersonal work, my hope is that anxious parts of a person will be met with compassion and a gentle awareness, helping it to ultimately take on a more beneficial role instead of seeking complete extermination. “We heal when we can be with what we feel” (Hillary McBride).

Grief is a natural response that can be defined as the anguish experienced after significant loss, oftentimes the death of a beloved person, a pet, or any connection of importance. Healing through grief looks different for every individual and experiences of grief vary and are influenced by the nature of the loss. Grief, also, can be seen as a narrative of love. Components of healing through grief include a deep attention and compassion from an empathetic witness, a space for storytelling and an openness to learn how to hold space for one’s experience.

Chronic illness and pain affects more lives than we realize and it can be both apparent and invisible, stemming from many different factors. Such suffering can affect all aspects of life and can feel very isolating.. At CJ Counseling, I work from a specific EMDR Chronic Pain protocol focused on helping to disrupt the pain pathways that are constantly firing in the nervous system, as well as continue to use the standard EMDR protocol and other therapeutic modalities to resolve any un-cared for trauma or adverse experiences that could be contributing to the discomfort.