There are so many things that I love about being a therapist. There isn’t anything in the world that I would rather do with my life than therapy as a career. It certainly has its challenges, and there are difficult aspects about it but overall the people I work with inspire me. I am in awe of how brave and resilient they are, and being able to witness their transformation and healing is honestly mind-blowing. I feel so lucky that I get to be the one that gets to sit with them and hear some of the most painful parts of their lives. However, my FAVORITE part of being a therapist is doing EMDR with clients.
Let’s talk about EMDR
EMDR is a type of trauma therapy that we now use in a variety of different ways. The gist is that it uses eye movements that are similar to the state you are in when you are dreaming, and it helps do deep processing and quickly. What I love about it is that my clients learn more about themselves faster using EMDR, and it frees them from their prisons. EMDR can be used for just about any struggle that you have, and it’s incredibly effective. I get so excited watching my clients gain new insights and start feeling better about their memories and experiences.
I have nearly told every single person in my life that they should find an EMDR therapist that has been trained in EMDR and do it. If you struggle with past experiences, memories you’re stuck on, depression, anxiety, eating disorders, bad body image, past relationships, unwanted sexual experiences, get triggered, nightmares, etc, then you need EMDR in your life, and prepare for your life to be changed!
EMDR is amazing, and it’s hard.
It is my obligation to tell you that EMDR is hard work. It’s not a walk in the park to have to bring up past painful experiences and focus on them for any amount of time. There is a reason your brain is having a difficult time moving on and why you still think about them or avoid thinking about them. You have to re-experience some pretty rough things when doing EMDR, and it’s exhausting for your brain to do all the work. After an EMDR session, my clients are pretty wiped out and will need some extra self-care.
You might not be ready now for EMDR but we can work to get you there
Another important note is that sometimes those I work with aren’t in what is called the “window of tolerance”, meaning they aren’t in the right headspace to do this kind of processing. When my clients aren’t in the window of tolerance to do EMDR, it’s because they are either feeling too much too strong ( ie, panic attacks) or they aren’t feeling anything at all because they’ve numbed out so much. We have to work together to help the client be able to self-soothe and prepare so EMDR isn’t an overwhelming experience and they feel flooded with emotions.
Another aspect that people like about EMDR is that they don’t necessarily have to recount many details of the memory or experience to the therapist. Many people shy away from therapy because they just aren’t the type to want to talk about that (that’s another post for another day) and the good news with EMDR is that it’s your brain doing all the work, and the therapist is just guiding you through it.
Ready to work with an EMDR therapist in Utah?
You don’t have to keep reliving the best over and over. EMDR therapy can help. This Provo Area Counseling Center has an EMDR therapist who can help you feel better. To begin therapy, follow these steps:
Meet with a trauma therapist
Begin feeling good again
EMDR Therapy Online in Utah
I know it’s hard to make another appointment and take the risk to work on yourself. I get that you feel anxious and wonder if EMDR will even work. I am passionate about EMDR and would love for you to give it a shot. I want to make it as convenient as possible, which is why I provide online therapy in Utah. This makes it so you don’t even have to leave your house to start healing your trauma.
Online counseling also means we can work together wherever you are located in Utah, Logan, Salt Lake City, Heber, St. George, Cedar City, and more.
Other mental health services in Utah County
EMDR therapy isn’t the only counseling service provided at this Northern Utah Counseling Practice. Other mental health services provided by Maple Canyon Therapy include anxiety therapy, eating disorder therapy, birth trauma, binge eating disorder treatment, and body image therapy in Utah.
About the Author
Ashlee Hunt is a licensed clinical social worker and owner of Maple Canyon Therapy in Utah County. Ashlee has a master’s degree in social work from Utah State University and two bachelor’s, one in psychology and one in family life and human development, from Southern Utah University. Ashlee has been trained in EMDR therapy for several years and utilizes it for more than just trauma. She uses EMDR for Eating Disorders and to help clients move past the negative beliefs they are stuck in. When Ashlee is not doing therapy, she is probably still working her way down the drink menu at Fiiz in Spanish Fork.