EMDR Therapy
and the
Flash Technique
Have you tried regular talk therapy and it just hasn’t worked?
Are you curious if EMDR Therapy is right for you?
EMDR Therapy may be right for you if you are experiencing any of the following:
Fear of talking about the details of your experiences
Gaps in your memory
Dissatisfaction with other types of therapy
If it seems like, “All we do in my sessions is talk and nothing resolves.”
Physical issues and medical reasons have been ruled out
Flashbacks, nightmares, and hypervigilance
An untreated diagnosis of PTSD
Anxiety, depression, panic attacks
Phobias or irrational fears
Substance Use Disorder(s)
Low self-esteem and negative thoughts about yourself and others
Suicidal thoughts
WHAT IS EMDR?
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Form of therapy that helps the brain reprocess painful memories. It is a way of rewiring the thinking patterns of the brain.
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A series of gentle stimulation techniques, such as tapping or moving your eyes from side to side, to access the part of the brain that stores emotional, physical, and cognitive (negative thinking) pain. These techniques allow the brain to form new and healthy associations with your memories.
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It taps into the brain’s natural ability to heal itself. When you are asleep, your brain automatically stores memories in their proper place. EMDR does the same thing. The tapping movements or side-to-side eye motions allow your brain to process memories just like you do when you are in REM sleep.
What do EMDR Therapy Sessions Look Like?
Resourcing - developing coping strategies for dealing with high-intensity emotions that may occur during treatment.
History taking and treatment planning - creating a timeline of target memories for reprocessing.
Assessment - once the first target memory is selected, we will identify the worst part of that memory and pinpoint a negative belief that it caused (e.g., “I am unsafe” or “I am unworthy”).
Reprocessing phases begin
Desensitization - using bilateral stimulation (tapping with hands on the body or gentle side-to-side eye movements) to address target memories.
Installation - a positive belief is associated with the target memory until it is 100% believable.
Body scan- freeing the body of physical disturbances associated with the target memory.
Ensuring safety
Closure - ending sessions with a state of calmness.
Reevaluation - checking in at the beginning of each session and also working on targets for the future.
How Effective is EMDR Therapy and how do I know if it will work for me?
Generally, EMDR Therapy works faster than talk therapy. In fact, studies have found that about 84-to-90 percent of single-event trauma survivors experience relief after just three EMDR sessions. ¹
While there are no guarantees it will work for you, I have yet to work with a client who did not benefit from EMDR Therapy in some way. If you don’t like it, no problem. We can use CBT or Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Trauma Therapy.
What is the Flash Technique?
Developed by Dr. Philip Manfield during the course of using EMDR
Designed to reduce the emotional disturbance associated with traumatic memories.
Unlike EMDR, does not require conscious attendance to any part of the memory while the brain is working on resolving the distress.
Excellent modality to use to resolve traumatic memories that are highly disturbing.
Can be used in conjunction with EMDR.
What do we actually do during Flash?
We are tapping (there’s that bilateral stimulation again!) and talking about an engaging topic of interest to you. You might be wondering, ‘What is the Flash?’ It is just blinking quickly a few times when prompted by me. The theory is that this reminds the subconscious part of the brain of its task: work on assimilating the traumatic memory into a state of healing.
It is beneficial to work with a therapist who is trained in both EMDR and the Flash Technique because it is a smooth transition back and forth between the two modalities. For those who work in professions that are exposed to a lot of trauma, such as first responders, the Flash Technique is often the only modality that is needed. Events are able to be targeted in as little as one session!
To learn more about the Flash Technique and see videos of it in use, you can visit Dr. Manfield's website here: The Flash Technique.
My Experience Using EMDR and the Flash Technique
I am an EMDR Certified Therapist by the EMDR International Association (EMDRIA) and I have completed Advanced Training in the Flash Technique with the founder of Flash, Dr. Philip Manfield. I use the evidenced based techniques with almost all of my clients. I’ve had many clients tell me they’ve been suffering for a long time and that “This is how I thought life was always going to be,” only to feel surprised after healing through EMDR and Flash. These accelerated therapies provide quicker symptom relief than regular talk therapy for most, give clients coping strategies they can use on their own, and tap (literally!) into the brain’s natural ability to heal itself. Here are some other comments similar to what clients have made:
I can laugh again!
I am no longer fighting with my wife.
I haven’t had any thoughts of hurting myself in months.
I don’t feel angry anymore.
I feel hopeful and am looking forward to the future for once.
I don’t remember ever feeling this good.
I can’t believe I have stopped drinking!
Experience the Power of EMDR and the Flash Technique
If you would like to experience the power of EMDR therapy and the Flash Technique in your own life, I encourage you to connect with me. To get started, you can use the contact form or
hit the Start Today button below for a free 20-minute phone consultation.
For more information about EMDR, you can watch the video at the link below:
About EMDR Therapy - EMDR International Association (emdria.org)
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