go beyond traditional talk therapy.

EMDR, Brainspotting and Art Therapy in Fairfield, CT and online throughout NJ

"I can be changed by what happens to me. But I refuse to be reduced by it." — Maya Angelou

You don’t have to live with trauma or PTSD. You’ve been through something awful and you deserve to take your life back. 

Talking about you experiences and breathing exercises have only helped so much

It’s not just your thoughts about what you went through, it’s also how your body physically responds to certain triggers

Trusting other people can be one of the biggest challenges

EMDR therapy can help you quiet the fight, flight and freeze response.

EMDR is an evidence-based method that uses bilateral stimulation to ease the reprocessing of traumatic memories.

  • There are 8 phases of EMDR. In the reprocessing phases, the client brings to mind a traumatic or painful memory while the therapist applies bilateral stimulation in the form of eye movements, taps, or auditory tones to reduce the impact of the memory.

  • EMDR begins with building relaxation and emotional regulation skills. You can expect that in addition to the memory no longer feeling as intense or distressing as it previously did, to work through any negative beliefs that might be connected to the memory.

    Beliefs typically are in the form of:

    1. Not feeling safe

    2. Feeling like you don't belong

    3. Believing that you are wrong or bad or flawed in some way

    4. Believing you are responsible for what happened

  • EMDR helps reprocess past experiences on a deep level that often leads to a reduction of stress in felt in the body as well as an increase sense of peace and confidence.

Is Brainspotting right for you?

Brainspotting is a good fit for you if you…

  • Have tried talk therapy and are ready for a new technique.

  • Are struggling with the impact of a traumatic event and want to get the picture or sound or smell out of your mind.

  • Don’t really remember much of what happened, but still feel it in your body.

  • REALLY DO NOT WANT TO TALK ABOUT IT ANYMORE, but still need to heal.

In a Brainspotting session

Find the “brainspots”- the points in the visual field that when you are gazing at them link to the stored trauma in the brain.

Using mindful attention on the brainspot, you observe your brain and body’s responses including thoughts, feelings, and sensations allowing them to flow and the trauma is reprocessed.

I continue to stay present with you and help you stay present in the therapy session with one foot in the room and another in the memory as the level of distress changes and ultimately diminishes.