Mental health counseling to include; EMDR, Acudetox, Dialectical behavioral Therapy (DBT), Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Somatic Experiencing, Cognitive processing therapy (CPT), Mindfulness, Trauma informed
Emdr
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) is a non-invasive, evidence-based method of psychotherapy that helps victims recover from the effects of psychological trauma through adaptive information processing. EMDR therapy is an eight-phase trauma treatment that comprehensively identifies and addresses experiences that have overwhelmed the brain’s natural resilience or coping capacity, thereby generating traumatic symptoms and/or harmful coping strategies. Through EMDR therapy, patients are able to reprocess traumatic information until it is no longer psychologically disruptive.
Developed in the late 1980’s by Francine Shapiro, PhD., EMDR was originally used as a successful therapy to treat post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Clinical research has validated EMDR therapy is applicable for a wide range of psychological problems that result from overwhelming life experiences, such as enduring a natural or man-made disaster. During this trauma treatment, patients tend to “process” the memory in a way that leads to a peaceful resolution.
Description of an EMDR Therapy Session
In a typical EMDR session, the therapist leads a patient in a series of lateral eye movements while the patient simultaneously focuses on various aspects of a disturbing memory. The left – right eye movements in EMDR therapy are a form of “bilateral stimulation”. Other forms of bilateral stimulation used by EMDR therapists include alternating bilateral sound using headphones and alternating tactile simulation using a handheld device that vibrates or taps to the back of the patient’s hands. After successful treatment with EMDR, affective distress is relieved, negative beliefs are reformulated, and physiological arousal associated with stress is reduced.
More than a set of “techniques”, the EMDR approach provides a model for understanding human potential, including how positive experiences support adaptive living, or psychological health, and how upsetting experiences can sometimes lead to psychological problems that interfere with a person’s ability to meet life challenges. The EMDR protocol guides clinicians in careful assessment and preparation work, particularly for persons with histories of multiple traumas.
The procedures have been refined and validated through controlled research at several centers around the world. Precise and careful use of these procedures can lead to a safe processing of memories, such that the negative thoughts and emotions disappear.
Acudetox
Acudetox, also known as the NADA protocol, is a standardized ear acupuncture protocol that clinical evidence supports in treating addictions, behavioral health, trauma and disaster relief. NADA stands for the National Acupuncture Detoxification Association and is a non-profit organization overseeing training and advocacy of Acudetox. NADA has trained more than 25,000 clinicians in North America and worldwide. The protocol is a simple yet powerful treatment that involves the placement of 5 sterile needles in the ears in specific points in each ear. The treatment is non-verbal, non-threatening and often brings an immediate calming effect. It has shown to improve retention to treatment and it is compatible across