Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) has become popular for treating various emotional challenges that teenagers face. EMDR is a psychotherapy approach that has been gaining momentum due to its effectiveness in treating anxiety, panic attacks, social anxiety, trauma, PTSD, and other emotional disorders.
In this post, we will explore what EMDR is, how it works, and the potential benefits of EMDR therapy for teens and young adults. We will also look at how Katy Teen & Family Counseling specializes in EMDR therapy and how teen therapy can help teenagers struggling with emotional challenges.
What is EMDR?
EMDR therapy is a psychotherapy technique that uses eye movements to help individuals reprocess traumatic memories. It was initially developed in the late 1980s by Francine Shapiro, a psychologist who discovered that eye movements could help reduce negative feelings associated with anxiety producing memories.
EMDR is based on the principle that unresolved emotional experiences are stored in the brain in a maladaptive way, causing negative emotions and behaviors.
How Does EMDR Work?
EMDR therapy uses a structured protocol to help individuals reprocess traumatic memories through eye movements. During a typical EMDR therapy session, individuals recall distressing events while their therapist guides them through a series of eye movements.
These eye movements are believed to help the brain reprocess these experiences and store it more adaptively. The end result is that the traumatic memory loses its negative emotional charge, leading to reduced symptoms of anxiety, panic attacks, social anxiety, and trauma.
EMDR therapy follows eight distinct phases, including:
1. History Taking & Treatment Planning,
2. Preparation,
3. Assessment,
4. Desensitization,
5. Installation,
6. Body scan,
7. Closure, and
8. Reevaluation.
The history taking and treatment planning phase include taking a detailed history of the traumatic experiences and collaborating on a treatment plan to help resolve the toxic emotions around the experiences.
The preparation phase involves building rapport between the therapist and the client and educating the client on the EMDR process.
The assessment phase involves identifying the traumatic event, the negative emotions associated with the event, and the positive self-statement that the client would prefer to believe about him or herself.
In the desensitization phase, the client focuses on the traumatic event while making eye movements.
The installation phase involves strengthening the positive self-statement that the client is currently working on.
During the body scan phase, the therapist helps the client identify if there are any areas in the body that are tense due to the memory of the traumatic experience. If so, EMDR is used to help alleviate the trauma tension in the body.
The closure phase involves ensuring that the client is stabilized after the session.
The reevaluation phase occurs throughout the therapy process to measure progress and determine ongoing needs.
The Potential Benefits of EMDR Therapy for Teens & Young Adults
EMDR therapy has been found to be effective for reducing symptoms associated with various emotional challenges. It is particularly useful for addressing symptoms of anxiety, panic attacks, social anxiety, trauma, and PTSD. Some of the potential benefits of EMDR therapy for teens and young adults include:
Reduced Anxiety
EMDR therapy can help reduce anxiety by reprocessing negative emotions related to traumatic events.
Improved Mood
EMDR can help to improve the mood of teenagers and young adults by reducing negative emotions and increasing feelings of self-worth.
Reduced Panic Attacks
EMDR therapy can help to reduce symptoms of panic attacks by decreasing anxiety and addressing the underlying issues.
Improved Social Functioning
EMDR can help to improve social functioning by decreasing social anxiety and increasing self-confidence in social situations.
Improved Coping Skills
EMDR therapy can help to improve coping skills by addressing the underlying issues that contribute to emotional challenges.
Katy Teen & Family Counseling Specializing in EMDR Therapy
Katy Teen & Family Counseling is a counseling practice specializing in the treatment of teenagers and young adults. Our counselors are specialists in EMDR therapy, and we provide a safe, supportive, and confidential environment for our clients.
We understand that teenagers and young adults face numerous challenges, including emotional challenges, and we are here to help them overcome these challenges.
Wrapping it Up
EMDR is an effective psychotherapy technique, supported by research, that uses eye movements to help individuals reprocess traumatic memories.
EMDR therapy has many potential benefits for teenagers and young adults, including reduced anxiety, improved mood, reduced panic attacks, improved social functioning, and improved coping skills.
Katy Teen & Family Counseling specializes in EMDR therapy and provides a safe and supportive environment for teenagers struggling with emotional challenges.
Katy Teen & Family Counseling: Specializing in EMDR Therapy for Teens & Young Adults Katy, TX & Houston
While emotional challenges like depression, anxiety, panic attacks, social anxiety and other challenges are on the rise, there are effective therapeutic approaches like EMDR. If your teen or young adult is struggling with emotional challenge related to anxiety, trauma, or PTSD, EMDR may be the right approach for them.
At Katy Teen & Family Counseling, our therapists specialize in teen therapy, young adult counseling, and family therapy. We have two therapists trained in EMDR who can help you today.
We also have our Sugar Land location. Sugar Land Teen & Family Counseling is located in Sugar Land, TX, We are conveniently located off of US 90 and Dairy Ashford Road.
At our Katy, TX location, we have 70+ years of combined experience. If you are ready to meet with one of our teen counselors or young adult therapists, all you need to do is follow these three simple steps:
Contact Katy Teen & Family Counseling
Talk with one of our caring therapists
Begin the healing process today!
Other Therapy and Counseling Services Offered at Katy Teen & Family Counseling
At Katy Teen & Family Counseling, we provide a variety of therapy approaches that are supported by research and shown to be effective. Some of the teen therapy and young adult counseling we offer are:
Board Certified Neurofeedback Therapy
Peak performance (optimal academic brain performance)
Peak performance (optimal athletic brain performance)
Accelerated Resolution Therapy (ART)
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR Therapy)
Group Therapy for Teens
Body Image
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
Couples Therapy & Marriage Counseling
Couples Therapy and Marriage Counseling can be very effective. The secret ingredient to success is each person willing to look at themselves and work to do things differently, together. When a marriage counselor or couples therapist has this to work with, the success rate can be very high.
Sometimes life will throw challenges at us that create situations that put strain on our marriage or relationship. It may be due to:
Choices and actions that have been made by one partner.
Financial downturn in the economy creating financial strain.
Feeling like you're growing apart.
Feeling like you don't have as much in common as you used to.
Whatever the reason may be, marriage counseling and couples therapy can help. Couples therapy and marriage counseling has also been found to work in less time than individual therapy.
If you've worked hard for this relationship and find that there are now barriers in the way of maintaining a healthy relationship, contact us at Katy Teen & Family Counseling.
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