Frequently Asked Questions

Therapy sessions are confidential conversations between a client and therapist during which your emotions, thoughts, and behaviors are processed and understood. You can discuss your past, the present, ongoing struggles and beliefs about anything. By doing so, you gain a better understanding for who you are, why you are that way, and what might be best for you going forward. 

Although friends and family can be emotional support systems... they have their own opinions and biases about your life. This can keep us from being completely honest with them about our thoughts and emotions.

With a therapist, their priority during a session is to create a safe space for you to talk without judgement and help you make sense of your thoughts, feelings, and life experiences.

From here you can truly start to make changes to live a life you are happier with. 

Sessions are approximately 50-60 minutes 

In order to bring about change, it's important to work with your therapist as a team and commit to consistent weekly or biweekly sessions. As you make progress, you and your therapist will discuss the appropriate frequency for sessions, with the eventual goal being to reach a point where you feel ready to end treatment based on your progress.

Yes.

What you say in therapy is confidential, therapists do not disclose the content of your sessions or identity with others without your permission. 

However, there are exceptions to this rule - if you reveal that you may put yourself or others in danger, your therapist will disclose this information to other professionals to keep you safe. 

No one is "broken" (even when it feels that way!) Pain and struggles are part of being human. But, if you are experiencing the same struggles over and over - this is a pattern.

Therapy helps to identify the root of your patterns and discuss how to break the cycle.

However, it is not a “fix-all.” Changing your life and emotions takes accountability, addressing trauma and ultimately - behavioral change.

We can discuss what this means during a free consultation call if you have questions not covered here in the FAQ’s.

Trauma is any experience that impacts the way to view ourselves and the world. It is my belief we have all experienced some kind of trauma.

Often if we’re seeking help after a traumatic experience, it’s because it has negatively impacted us. Traumatic memories can also be stored in a different part of our brains than our regular memory - this is where we require somatic therapy to alleviate the impact trauma has.

Here are two common types of trauma we may have experienced:

Big “T” Trauma:

Life-changing events such as a car accident, an abusive relationship or assault, etc. These events tend to come with memories that can replay in our head affecting our mood, sleep and relationships even years after they happened.

Little “t” trauma:

Experiences that look innocent but still shape the way we can feel about ourselves and our connections. An example: Parents who always went to work while we grew up so we have a subconscious abandonment wound and find it hard to let people go.

If you’re more curious on this - read this blog post 

Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) is used to help get relief from negative feelings associated with painful or traumatic memories. 

These types of memories tend to negatively impact us in the present day and can cause PTSD, depression, anxiety, and low self-esteem.

During a typical EMDR session, the client brings to mind the memory they want to work on and pair it with a form of bilateral stimulation (BLS):

Forms of bilateral stimulation (BLS) include: 

-Eye movements (shifting the gaze back and forth) 

-Tactile stimulations (tapping or buzzing sensations on alternating parts of the body)

-Auditory stimulations (sounds alternating from ear to ear)

The combination of the distressing thought or memory paired with BLS allows the body to work through the memory and create some distance from it. 

This combination is highly effective because BLS helps to inhibit the amygdala, which is the part of the brain responsible for fear, and the fight-or-flight response, which helps reduce the physiological arousal linked to the painful memory.

BLS can also be paired with positive or peaceful memories to strengthen them and create a sense of calm that one can return to when feeling triggered or overwhelmed. 

Absolutely. This is a very common concern, but I have yet to encounter someone who this was actually an issue for! 

We often remember more than we think - simply an image, a sound, a thought, a feeling, or a fragmented memories can be sufficient enough to work with. 

Some clients may only have a feeling about a memory - i.e “I feel like something bad happened when I was … ” and are able to work through sessions with that notion alone. 

If you are curious if EMDR therapy is for you, feel free to reach out for a free 15 minute consultation.

Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) and Accelerated Resolution Therapy (ART) are both psychotherapy approaches used to treat trauma and related psychological issues, but they have some key differences:

EMDR:

• EMDR places a significant emphasis on identifying and addressing negative core beliefs associated with traumatic experiences.
• It involves a structured process where individuals recall distressing images and thoughts while simultaneously undergoing bilateral stimulation (eye movements, sounds, or taps) to reprocess these memories.
• EMDR aims to desensitize the emotional charge associated with distressing images and replace negative core beliefs with more adaptive ones through repeated sets of processing.

ART:

• ART focuses on using guided imagery and other techniques to clear distressing images and emotions associated with traumatic memories.
• It often doesn't specifically target negative core beliefs as a central aspect of the therapy process.
• ART's primary goal is to help individuals reframe and reprocess traumatic memories to reduce emotional distress and achieve resolution, often in a shorter timeframe compared to EMDR.
• Clients don't need to share the specific details of their traumatic memories with the therapist, making it a more comfortable option for those who find it challenging to talk about their trauma.

While both ART and EMDR aim to alleviate distressing memories, EMDR places a more explicit focus on addressing and altering negative core beliefs as part of the therapeutic process, whereas ART primarily concentrates on using guided imagery to clear distressing images and emotions associated with traumatic experiences. The choice between the two approaches may depend on the specific needs and preferences of the individual seeking therapy.