Where Can I Find EMDR Therapy in Long Beach, CA?

Trauma may seem like an impossible challenge to overcome, but some therapies like EMDR Therapy in Long Beach can help relieve symptoms and improve response to stress and triggers. Trauma can result from a number of situations in life. From car accidents to domestic violence and military service, trauma can affect people from all walks of life.

Trauma can cause debilitating flashback memories that feel vivid and lifelike — so much so that people often feel like they’re experiencing the traumatic event all over again. As a result, these memories can trigger the same level of pain, fear, or anxiety from the event itself. They can make living a normal life seem impossible and put extra strain on relationships, work, and school performance.

For those struggling with PTSD or painful memories, EMDR therapy in Long Beach, CA, can provide trauma-informed care to help them heal from trauma. Healing starts with finding a treatment center that offers trauma-specific therapies like Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR). EMDR has been proven effective in helping people overcome all types of trauma, such as PTSD, complex trauma, childhood trauma, and more.

If you’re suffering from trauma and need help dealing with it, EMDR therapy in Long Beach, CA could be right for you. This article will go over what EMDR is and what you can expect if you decide to seek help from a treatment center to heal from trauma.

What Is Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR)?

Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) is a psychotherapy treatment that alleviates the distress associated with traumatic memories. Francine Shapiro developed EMDR in the late 1980s, and it has since gained recognition as an effective treatment for trauma and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

EMDR involves the use of bilateral stimulation to heal memories that cause pain and discomfort. These stimulations include eye movements, hand tapping, or audio tones conducted by a therapist while someone thinks about the trauma they suffered. Bilateral stimulation can assist those suffering from trauma as they process painful memories. While overseeing an EMDR session, the therapist guides the client to recall their distressing memories. At the same time, they engage in these bilateral stimulations. This process aims to help the individual reprocess traumatic memories. It also reduces their emotional charge and integrates more adaptive beliefs and emotions. 

EMDR functions on the premise that past traumatic experiences can disrupt the normal processing of memories, leading to ongoing distress. The therapy involves an eight-phase treatment that often features multiple sessions with a therapist. This process helps facilitate the resumption of normal information processing and integration.

While EMDR was initially developed to treat PTSD, it can also assist in the treatment of other mental health disorders such as:

• Anxiety
• Depression
• Panic disorders
• Eating disorders
• Addictions

Psychologists and counselors use EMDR therapy in Long Beach, CA to help individuals process and integrate traumatic memories in a way that reduces their lingering effects. It’s become one of the frontline PTSD treatments in Long Beach and elsewhere.

This is basically the same content as the EMDR therapy in Orange County “The core concept of EMDR involves utilizing bilateral stimulation. That means eye movements, hand tapping, or audio tones. These help the processing of traumatic memories. During an EMDR session, the therapist guides the client to recall distressing memories. At the same time, they engage in these bilateral stimulations. This process aims to help the individual reprocess traumatic memories. It also reduces their emotional charge and integrates more adaptive beliefs and emotions.”

What Are the Goals of EMDR?

The primary goal of EMDR therapy is to fully process the experiences that are causing problems and include new ones needed for improved health. Painful memories and flashbacks can cause many problems in someone’s life. Reducing the impact of these memories is a key point in EMDR, but there are other goals to the treatment as well.

Specifically, the goal of EMDR therapy in Long Beach, CA is to:

• Diminish the distress from the memory
• Reduce or eliminate the problematic symptoms
• Improve the client’s beliefs about themselves
• Mitigate arousal caused by memories of the trauma
• Foster emotional stability and stress management skills

By addressing the emotional impact of traumatic events, EMDR therapy in Long Beach, CA helps individuals develop more adaptive coping mechanisms and beliefs about themselves and the world around them. The overarching goal is not only to treat symptoms but also to facilitate personal growth and healing. EMDR can also help with relationship issues, anger management, childhood traumas, and sexual traumas.

Which Mental Health Disorders Does EMDR Therapy Treat?

EMDR therapy in Long Beach, CA is primarily known for its effectiveness in treating trauma and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). It’s often incorporated into an overall treatment plan, including other evidence-based and holistic treatments. EMDR has applications across other mental health disorders as well. These include:

EMDR can assist in treating mental health disorders such as:

• Anxiety Disorders
• Depression
• Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
• Eating Disorders
• Addictions and Substance Use Disorders
• Dissociative Disorders
• Chronic Pain and Somatic Symptoms
• Attachment Disorders

Not every treatment plan offered at South Coast Behavioral Health includes EMDR. Following a consultation with our treatment team about one or more of the above issues, your therapists will create a unique treatment plan with multiple therapies and holistic treatments that work together to aid in healing. Keeping an open mind and a willingness to try new therapies can greatly benefit recovery. It can be scary to confront trauma, but when you have the right help by your side, it gets much more accessible.

EMDR for Anxiety Disorders

EMDR treats various forms of anxiety, including panic attacks, phobias, and generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), by helping individuals process the underlying traumatic events that may contribute to their anxiety.

Using EMDR for Depression

For individuals whose depression comes from past traumatic or distressing events, EMDR therapy in California can help by processing these memories and reducing the emotional distress associated with them.

EMDR for OCD

While EMDR is not the primary treatment for Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD), it addresses past traumas that may be contributing to OCD symptoms.

Applying EMDR for Eating Disorders

EMDR in California can be part of a comprehensive treatment plan for eating disorders. This is particularly true when trauma or negative self-beliefs are factors in the disorder’s development and maintenance.

EMDR for Addiction and Substance Use Disorders

EMDR therapy in Long Beach, CA can help individuals with addictions by addressing the underlying traumas and stressors that contribute to substance use and dependency.

Treating Dissociative Disorders with EMDR

Dissociative Disorders: Given the high correlation between trauma and dissociative disorders, EMDR can be effective in treating these conditions by helping individuals process and integrate traumatic memories.

EMDR for Chronic Pain

Chronic Pain and Somatic Symptoms: EMDR in California treats chronic pain and somatic symptoms, especially when they are linked to traumatic events or psychological stressors.

Using EMDR To Treat Attachment Disorders

Attachment Disorders: EMDR therapy in Long Beach, CA can help individuals with attachment disorders by addressing past traumas and negative experiences that affect their ability to form healthy relationships.