What is EMDR therapy and what is Modified Protocol, Attachment-Focused EMDR therapy? Answers from SLC Therapist, Christy Kobe, LCSW, CCTP, EMDR Therapist Utah
What is EMDR?
EMDR is an acronym for Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing therapy, which is a powerful and effective method of therapy for treating trauma.
Trauma may be best be defined as “a psychological, emotional response to an event or an experience that is deeply distressing or disturbing” [1].
EMDR therapy incorporates eye movements or other forms of bilateral stimulation into an in-depth, comprehensive, mind-body approach to processing pieces of distressing experiences that are stuck in the mind and body—in a way that positively transforms the memory, physiological sensations, emotions and beliefs associated with the experience [2].
EMDR has extensively been researched over the past few decades as a treatment for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and is considered to be an evidence-based therapy for trauma [3 & 4].
In addition to treating PTSD, EMDR is also used to treat the mental and emotional effects of a wide variety of smaller traumas that manifest as anxiety, depression, low self-esteem, phobias, creativity blocks, and relationship difficulties [2].
What differentiates EMDR therapy from something like medication per se is that EMDR therapy enables us to treat and address the causes of the issues rather than just treating symptoms.
What is Modified Protocol, Attachment-Focused EMDR?
The development of Modified Protocol, Attachment-Focused EMDR began in 1991. This modified protocol of EMDR was developed by Laurel Parnell PhD, by whom I was trained in personally in this protocol, in New York in 2018 and in California in 2019, and with whom I have completed additional trainings virtually.
Dr. Parnell developed AF-EMDR for clients who have typically been less responsive to traditional EMDR protocols, who had experienced things such as childhood physical or sexual abuse, neglect, early losses, birth trauma, medical trauma, parental drug or alcohol abuse, caregiver misattunement, or secondary trauma [2].
AF-EMDR therapy might be a good fit for you if you struggle with anxiety, depression, not feeling fully alive, not enjoying life, difficulty making important decisions and taking action, intense emotional reactions to certain situations or people, difficult relationships in the family with whom you grew up, or issues in your relationships as an adult.
I chose to go to New York and California to be trained in person by Laurel after experiencing a dramatic difference as a client myself between Standard Protocol EMDR and Modified Protocol EMDR because I wanted to be able to offer my clients as a Salt Lake City therapist this deeper, more complete, integrated and powerful protocol for healing compared to what I had experienced using the standard protocol of EMDR in which most EMDR therapists are trained.
Processing and healing can occur much more rapidly than with talk therapy alone, and clearing these negative effects often results in people experiencing greater joy, peace, meaning, depth, openness, and connection in their lives and relationships.
If any of these sound like things you have experienced or things with which you struggle, please contact me here through my contact form to reach me most quickly, or you may also email or call me to request to schedule your 45 minute phone consultation.
In my experiences, as a SLC Therapist and Utah Therapist in practice since 2003, Modified Protocol, Attachment-Focused EMDR is a more client-centered, flexible and intuitive method of EMDR.
I have found that Attachment-Focused EMDR enables and creates healing in ways that simply are not possible with talk therapy alone.
Modified Protocol, Attachment-Focused EMDR enables us to effectively work through a wide variety of triggers or things we haven’t been able to let go of, and genuinely move forward in our lives and relationships.
If you are interested in experiencing any of these things, I hope you will contact me today to schedule your 45 minute phone consultation to explore working with a SLC therapist.
If you would like to learn more about what happens to your brain during trauma and how Modified Protocol EMDR Therapy can help, click here.
References:
http://centerforanxietydisorders.com/what-is-trauma/
http://parnellemdr.com/emdr-and-af-emdr/?fbclid=IwAR2ZvmEa7uxLvVm072RTVpA5SMXdOtM3j4dJc8H2ks1a-tghX-RuAgRFtqs
http://www.emdr.com/efficacy/
https://www.emdrhap.org/content/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/Research_2015.pdf
Blog Author Bio
Christy Kobe, LCSW, CCTP, EMDR Therapist Utah, is a Salt Lake City therapist who has been practicing in the SLC area since Spring 2003. In addition to completing her licensure as a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW), Christy has completed certification as a Certified Clinical Trauma Professional (CCTP), completed training and certification as an EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) Therapist, completed in-depth clinical training on Polyvagal Theory Informed Trauma Therapy, completed a certification training to help clients struggling to deal with an individual with a personality disorder in their lives, completed all of the Gottman Couples Method Therapy trainings through The Gottman Institute, completed a certificate in Trauma-Informed Parent Child Interaction Therapy at The Trauma Center in Boston, MA, and completed extensive clinical training on the treatment of trauma and attachment taught by international experts on these subjects.
She works with sensitive, high achieving, perfectionistic, or progressive women who are stressed, overwhelmed, burned out, and afraid they are about to break. She is especially passionate about working with clients who have experienced complex trauma, childhood trauma, relational trauma, or religious trauma, including developmental trauma, preverbal trauma, and emotional neglect. Please reach out to request a consultation if you would like to explore the possibility of partnering with her as your therapist.