Tag: Counseling

Is DBT Right For You?

by admin

Is Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) right for me?  I hear this question over and over from potential and current clients.  To answer this, it’s helpful to understand basic information about DBT and how it is used. 

What is DBT?

DBT is a is a type of psychotherapy based on cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), a talk therapy that helps people understand how thoughts, emotions and behaviors are interrelated. DBT is specially adapted for people who experience emotions very intensely. 

“Dialectical” means combining or balancing opposite ideas. DBT focuses on helping people accept the reality of their lives and their behaviors, while also empowering them to change their lives and any unhealthy behaviors.  It focuses on self-acceptance without judgment, while also encouraging change and growth.  

What is DBT used for?

American psychologist Marsha Linehan developed dialectical behavior therapy in the 1970s specifically for clients with borderline personality disorder. Since that time, DBT has been used and researched in helping to treat a wide range of mental health conditions, including depression, anxiety, eating disorders, substance use disorders, suicidal behavior, and self-harm.

Why does DBT work?

DBT has proved effective for the treatment of many mental health conditions because each of these conditions is thought to be associated with issues that result from unhealthy or problematic efforts to manage intense, negative emotions.  DBT helps people learn healthier ways to cope, leaving clients feeling confident and equipped to deal with negative emotions. 

Learn to manage difficult conversations, disappointments, criticism, overwhelming emotions or conflict without lashing out at others or engaging in self-destructive behaviors such as substance abuse, binge eating and debilitating negative self-talk.

What can I expect from DBT?

DBT is a skills-based approach to talk therapy.  Clients will learn skills from four treatment modules: distress tolerance, mindfulness, emotion regulation, and interpersonal effectiveness.  Skills are taught in individual or group formats and then practiced at home throughout the week by the client.

DBT at MJCW

Mindful Journey Counseling & Wellness offers DBT through individual therapy as well as a DBT/Mindful Movement group. We are happy to visit with you to determine if DBT is the right course of therapy for you. Visit our website for more information about our individual services and groups.

7 Myths about EMDR Therapy

by admin

7 Myths about EMDR Therapy 

If you have heard of “EMDR” before, then you have probably also heard at least one of the myths that I’ll be talking about in this post. This style of therapy — Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing — has become a hot topic, but it can still feel like a mysterious process. Hopefully dispelling some of these “myths” will provide some clarity and help you feel more comfortable reaching out to a therapist to start your own work!

MYTH: EMDR is a new therapy.

TRUTH: Actually, EMDR isn’t new. As more people have learned about it and its many benefits, EMDR has gained popularity in recent years. However, EMDR has been around for about 30 years. The first research study on EMDR was conducted in 1988, and it has been used world-wide by therapists to treat a variety of mental health and behavioral issues. 

MYTH: EMDR is only for people who have post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

TRUTH: Some of the early work conducted with EMDR was with military personnel who had PTSD from war-related trauma. It is through that work that EMDR began to gain traction, and it is now one of the only therapies approved by the VA to treat PTSD in veterans. Over time, however, EMDR therapy has been proven to help clients struggling with anxiety, depression, panic disorders, body image, and much more.  

MYTH: EMDR is hypnosis.

TRUTH: EMDR sometimes gets confused with hypnosis due to the “eye movement” aspect of the therapy. However, EMDR is actually much different and has different goals from hypnosis. The goal of EMDR is “dual attention”, meaning that you are meant to ALWAYS be present and aware during each stage of the process. The theory behind the eye movement is complex, but to simplify it, you can think of what your eyes do while you are in the deepest part of sleep. While you’re in the in REM or “rapid eye movement” stage of sleep, your eyes naturally move quickly side-to-side while closed. This is the same action that EMDR reproduces during the reprocessing phase of the therapy. 

MYTH: EMDR is a “quick fix.”

TRUTH: This is a myth that honestly, I do wish were true. The reason this myth exists is because EMDR has been proven to heal many issues more quickly than traditional talk therapy. Also, for those with “single incident trauma”—meaning only one traumatic event prior to initiating therapy—the processing stage of EMDR can be fully completed in as little as eight sessions. However, for those with a more complex history or who are facing multiple stressors, EMDR is likely to take longer than 2 months. The good news is, EMDR therapy has shown to give long-lasting results and does typically progress faster than traditional forms of therapy. 

MYTH: EMDR will just make me re-live all the “hard stuff.”

TRUTH: Actually, this is not the goal of EMDR. In some forms of therapy, the goal is to desensitize you to the hard things you’ve lived through by discussing, writing about, or exploring them until you are no longer easily upset by reminders or triggers of what happened. This works well for some, and there are structured ways of doing this that can help the client feel empowered and move forward into a full and happy life. However, for others, this approach can be re-traumatizing. That is why your EMDR therapist will go through a lot of “prep work” to make sure you have several ways to gain a sense of safety when triggered. When processing, the therapist will not ask you to retell the story in detail or encourage you to ruminate on your experience. 

MYTH: EMDR therapy works because my therapist knows “fancy tricks.”

TRUTH: Like most things involving the human brain, why EMDR works is theoretical. I won’t bore you with any confusing neuroscience jargon. What I will tell you is that our brains have an amazing capacity to heal themselves, and this is exactly what EMDR helps it do. For science nerds who want to learn more about the theoretical background of EMDR, follow this link to FAQs and detailed research articles. 

MYTH: EMDR isn’t backed by research.

TRUTH: The good news is, this myth is 100% false. There have been numerous studies on the efficacy of EMDR and the outlook is bright. This link will take you to an overview of some of the most well-known studies. 

While healing brains and hearts is still somewhat of a mysterious process, I hope that this information sheds some light and answered questions that you’ve wanted to ask about EMDR. There isn’t any form of therapy that is right for every single person, but for those that do “click” with EMDR, it can be a lifesaving path to healing. Mindful Journey can help you get started on your EDMR journey. Contact us to discuss more and see if it is right for you.You can also read more at the following websites:  www.emdria.org and www.emdr.com.

Meghan Leonard, M.S.W., LCSW, EMDR Trained