If you have a phobia or phobias you may experience intense anxiety or panic when faced with the object of your fear, even if the fear is objectively unfounded. Your fears may interfere with your ability to function in everyday life, and can cause you to avoid certain situations or objects that trigger your fear.
Your fears may stop you from enjoying a full life because you are unable to do things you want to do and you are preoccupied with your fear. You may feel hopeless and powerless as a result.
Imagine a life where you feel confident and comfortable getting on an airplane or driving a vehicle. You feel fearless in social situations and look forward to them. You no longer avoid situations and activities because of your fear. You feel free to do as you wish and you don’t dread the possibility of encountering the fearful event or object.
Without your phobia, you will experience a lack of intense, irrational fears or aversions towards specific objects, situations, or activities. You can navigate your daily life without the distress and anxiety that phobias often bring. You will feel more comfortable and at ease in various situations that might trigger phobic reactions in others.
EMDR therapy aims to help individuals process traumatic experiences and negative beliefs about themselves that may be contributing to their phobia. During an EMDR session, the individual is guided to focus on the traumatic experience or negative belief while engaging in a bilateral stimulation, which can involve eye movements, hand tapping, or auditory tones. The bilateral stimulation is thought to help activate the brain’s natural ability to process and integrate information, leading to a reduction in the intensity of negative emotions and beliefs.
For phobias specifically, EMDR can be used to help individuals process past experiences or memories related to the phobia, as well as any negative beliefs or emotions associated with the phobia. By processing and integrating these experiences and beliefs, individuals may experience a reduction in the intensity of their phobia symptoms and an increased ability to cope with triggering situations.
EMDR is a psychotherapy used to treat many conditions including irrational fear. It is an evidenced-based therapy that is effective in reprocessing phobias.
EMDR effectively treats phobias. You will be asked to bring up the fear and an image you associate with the worst outcome of experience that fear. The therapist will guide you on focusing on this outcome while you are engaging in back and forth eye movements (using a light bar) and holding buzzers that vibrate right than left. This pressure in the working memory allows the fear to lose its power and often fades.
This desensitization allows the material to become more adaptive and your thoughts will become more positive. This is the reprocessing aspect of EMDR and you will feel as though you can be exposed to what was once your fear but not be afraid. During this aspect you will also use the light bar and tappers to strengthen the new-found confidence.
Anyone who feels restricted because they are intensely afraid of something can benefit from EMDR. This fears can range from flying, driving or social situations.
Each one-hour session is $200 and is covered my most insurance providers. Check your insurance details for coverage under psychology benefits.
This depends on different factors such as the nature of the problem, your history, and your ability to tolerate short periods of emotional distress during the session (when the memory is activated). The length of time can vary from two to three sessions, several weeks or months. In complex cases it could take much longer. However when EMDR is administered effectively by a trained therapist the length of time is often much less than traditional talk therapy.
If you have intense, excessive or irrational fear of a specific object, situation, or activity you will benefit and find relief through EMDR.
Sessions are booked based on client preference. They can take place once a week or more and can be booked longer than one hour.
If you would like to discuss how you can heal from phobias please schedule a free 15-minute phone consultation on our booking page. You can also call or text at (587) 844-0443 or email us at wendy@calgaryemdrclinic.com. Calgary EMDR Clinic is pleased to support you in your growth and recovery.
The Calgary EMDR Clinic exclusively offers EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization & Reprocessing).