EMDR stands for Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing, which is a mouthful for something fairly straightforward. It is a structured therapy that helps the brain finish processing a memory it got stuck on. Challenges Conquered Counseling offers EMDR to clients across Florida, in person in Fort Lauderdale and Jacksonville and through secure video sessions.

Here is what it looks like in practice. You and your therapist identify a specific memory and the belief that came with it, something along the lines of “I should have done something” or “I am not safe.” While you hold that memory in mind, your therapist guides you through short sets of bilateral stimulation, usually side to side eye movements, taps, or tones. You pause between sets and say what came up. Over time the memory tends to lose its charge. You can still recall it, but it stops hijacking your body every time it shows up.

One thing people are relieved to hear is that you do not have to narrate the whole story out loud. EMDR asks for less retelling than most talk therapy, which is part of why it suits people who have avoided therapy because they did not want to relive anything.

We do not start with the hard material. The first phase is preparation. Your therapist takes your history, explains the process, and makes sure you have solid ways to settle yourself before any reprocessing begins. How long the full course takes depends on what you are working through. A single incident may take a handful of sessions. Long standing or repeated trauma takes longer, and we will be honest with you about that rather than promising a number.

Our Fort Lauderdale office is at 800 E Cypress Creek Rd Suite 431 and our Jacksonville office is at 10163 Fortune Pkwy G40. EMDR adapts well to telehealth, so clients anywhere in Florida can do this work from home with a therapist guiding the sets on screen.

We accept many major insurance plans and will verify your benefits before your first appointment so the cost is clear.

If a memory still runs your reactions years later, that is not a character flaw and it is not permanent. Call Challenges Conquered Counseling at (954) 600-9403 to talk with someone about whether EMDR is a fit for you.