EMDR Therapy
EMDR Therapy—A Tailored Approach To Healing Traumatic Experiences
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) is a form of therapy that helps individuals heal from the emotional impact of psychological trauma and adverse life experiences. It offers clinicians a way to address psychological and physiological symptoms that stem from distressing events. (1)
EMDR therapy seeks to alleviate trauma symptoms by altering the way traumatic memories are stored in the brain. What clients experience during EMDR reprocessing is similar to what happens during REM sleep—the brain automatically processes painful memories so they are no longer overwhelming.
During the EMDR process, your therapist guides you through a series of bilateral stimulation exercises (eye movements, tapping or sound) while you recall a traumatic or distressing memory. This allows your brain to reprocess what happened to you, moving your traumatic memory from the emotional side of the brain to the rational side, so that the memory no longer negatively affects you.
What clients like most about EMDR is that you don’t have to speak in detail about what happened. You can share as much or as little as you’d like—it all depends on what you’re comfortable with. In this way, EMDR lowers the risk of re-traumatization.
Have any questions? Send us a message!
The History And Effectiveness Of EMDR
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing therapy was developed in the 1980s by a psychologist named Francine Shapiro.
During a walk in the park, Francine felt plagued by some distressing memories. In the midst of thinking about these memories, she noticed some squirrels running back and forth in a tree. As she watched them, she realized that her eye movements seemed to decrease the negative feelings associated with her distressing memories and she began to feel better.
This launched her into many years of research, studying individuals with traumatic and distressing memories. She found that her experience was no accident—eye movements had profound desensitizing effects on trauma.
Her research gave birth to what we now know as EMDR—one of the most powerful and reputable approaches to trauma treatment in existence. The American Psychological Association, Department of Defense, and World Health Organization all recommend EMDR as a top-level form of trauma therapy.
Who Can Benefit From EMDR Therapy?
Elevation Behavioral Therapy specializes in treating trauma, PTSD, anxiety, depression, substance use, anger issues and panic disorders in children, teens and adults utilizing EMDR.
It was important for us that our licensed clinical therapists are trained in a therapy that can help clients who express having difficulty moving past certain memories and/or experiences and allow them to fully heal, rather than just learn to cope—and that's exactly what EMDR does. It gets to the root of what's wrong and allows you to truly heal in the deepest part of your brain.
While EMDR does not erase organic disorders, it does provide significant, long-lasting relief for non-organic conditions. For instance, if someone has bipolar disorder, EMDR will not change the fact that they have this disorder. However, it will significantly help with any negative experiences related to this diagnosis, such as challenging events that occurred during a depressive episode.
How Does The EMDR Treatment Process Work?
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Do you accept my insurance?In order to provide the highest quality therapy, our practice is not directly in-network with insurance, however, we work with a company called Mentaya Health, that will submit clients out-of-network claims for them. When you are eligible for reimbursement for sessions, you will directly receive a check in the mail from your insurance provider. We are also happy to provide you with a superbill, which you may submit to your insurance company directly for reimbursement. A superbill serves as a “receipt” of therapy sessions, and is very commonly accepted. We can answer any questions you may have in regards to Mentaya Health, or superbills.
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I’m confused about my insurance coverage. Can you help answer my questions?We are happy to answer any questions about Mentaya submitting claims. You can also use our Mentaya Health widget above to verify your out-of-network therapy benefits within seconds. Since each client’s health insurance coverage is different based on your individual plan, it is easiest for clients to directly reach out to their insurance provider with questions regarding coverage. We find most phone calls for this take less than 10 minutes. Many insurance companies also offer the option to live chat with a representative, if you prefer not to call.
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Can I use my FSA or HSA card to pay for therapy?Absolutely! You’re able to use either an FSA or HSA card to pay for therapy services.
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Do you offer an initial free consultation?Yes! Elevation offers a free 20 minute initial consultation. Click here to schedule
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Do you offer online scheduling?Our practice offers online scheduling for all new and current clients. This means you can book, cancel or reschedule appointments all through our website. Click here to schedule an appointment or free initial consultation.
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Do you have evening appointments?Absolutely. We offer evening & night appointments, as well as daytime appointments, to accommodate clients varying scheduling needs.
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How often can I meet with my therapist, and are longer session lengths available?Our practice is very flexible in how often you are able to meet with your therapist. We can accommodate clients having sessions multiple times a week, once a week, every other week, etc. The traditional session length of time is 50 minutes, however, we also offer sessions for 75 minutes, or longer. Longer sessions are very beneficial when doing EMDR and ERP therapy, as well as for clients who feel 50 minutes is not enough time to meet.
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Where are therapy sessions offered?We offer therapy sessions in person at our Cherry Creek, Denver office, via teletherapy (video) and ERP for OCD is also offered in your home or the community. Whenever weather permits, we also offer walk and talk therapy, where your therapist can meet you at a local park or somewhere outdoors, and you can do your session while walking.
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What is the cost of therapy? How does this compare to the cost of therapy in Denver?Our therapy sessions are $155-230 per 50 minute session, based on the individual psychologist or therapist. Private practice therapy in Denver with licensed psychologists or therapists costs $140-$275 per session. All of our psychologists and therapists are very experienced and considered specialists in their designated areas of practice.
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What is your cancellation and no show policy?There is no charge for therapy appointments canceled with more than 24 hours notice. Appointments that are canceled with less than 24 hours or no showed will be charged the normal session rate of $155-230, based on your individual psychologist or therapist’s rate.
EMDR is an eight-phase treatment method that includes:
The premise of EMDR therapy is to let go of the heavy, difficult experiences that are holding you back. It goes beyond simply processing what happened or requiring you to talk it through and allows you to fully heal from these memories and move on to a happier, lighter new chapter of your life.
EMDR Therapy Can Help You Heal From The Pain Of The Past
It’s time to liberate yourself from distressing experiences. Elevation Behavioral Therapy can help you find relief through EMDR.
Please schedule a free initial consultation or first appointment online using our booking link below. You can also email us at support@elevationbehavioraltherapy.com or call or text us at (720) 295-6566.
A brighter future awaits.
Check out our EMDR Therapy Blog Posts
