AF-EMDR is very helpful for folks who have experienced or witnessed violence, experienced life-threatening situations, had sudden loss (job, family member, relationship), witnessed or experienced war, survivors of cancer, intimate partner violence survivors, immigration hardships, experiencing and witnessing racism, and much more.  Often times EMDR also supports folks who struggle with severe anxiety, depression, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, Grief and Loss, and recent traumatic events (such as car accidents.)  I believe that trauma comes in many forms and does not always need to have something life-threatening occurring have it be an event that remain with us.  An example could be a friend no longer choosing to be friends, or feeling embarassed as a child in front of a classroom, or a breakup that we still have nightmares about.

If you have tried more "traditional talk therapy" and feel like you are repeating the same story of your experience and not feeling relief or progress, AF-EMDR may be a good option for you.

If you find yourself having any of the below experiences, AF-EMDR may be for you.

• Recurring nightmares/Uncomfortable dreams.

• Trouble falling asleep or staying asleep due to ruminating thoughts about a specific event

• Panic attacks or anxiety attacks throughout the week or during specific situations..

• Significant and frequent stomach, headache, and body pains that your medical provider has been unable to explain.

• Frequent feelings of worthlessness or wishing you didn't exist.

• Grief over the loss of a loved one that feels is interrupting life in ways that no longer feel helpful

• Flashbacks or "out of body" experiences at random times or when something reminds you of a traumatic event.

• Hypervigilance or struggling to calm down.

• Trouble engaging in things that remind you of traumatic event (example: Driving again after a car accident.)

Before beginning AF-EMDR, we start by engaging in a process called "Resource Tapping."  This is a process that helps bring in internal resources that can be a calming tool used between sessions, and connect us to parts of ourselves that help us heal during AF-EMDR processing.  Most of my client's find this beginning helpful and client's can utilize this skill on their own outside of session.

Before beginning AF-EMDR, we need to make sure that there are supports in place outside of session, as sessions can sometimes be emotionally a lot to process.  Once we've established coping tools and Resource Tapping, AF-EMDR can begin.  

During session, I will help you process different traumas or stressors related to specific traumas that are related to current moments of struggle. Sometimes  we can know which memory we are impacted by, whether it be flashbacks or dissociation when confronted with things that remind you For example, if you're struggling with severe anxiety related to driving but have no memory of what that fear feels connected to, we can trace back to what might be contributing to this fear.  

AF-EMDR in my experience works very rapidly, often making change very quickly.  I have worked with client's who have experienced extreme and prolonged life-threatening trauma who report immediate relief even before the end of the session.