Jean M. Miller MSW, LCSW

The decision to seek therapy is a courageous one.  It usually occurs in the midst of difficult and painful life circumstances,  and/or after longstanding hardship. I want to congratulate you on taking an important step forward and welcome you to explore further.  Regardless of your skin pigmentation, religion, national origin, sexual orientation or identification, body size or political affiliation that may be different than mine, I would like to walk with you as your unique person and all that you bring to the work. 

Regardless of the presenting issues, I believe that the goal of therapy should focus on what you want to achieve, not what the therapist thinks you need to change.  Yes, clinical assessment, professional feedback and a skilled therapist need to be a part of good therapy.  You are not, after all,  just coming in to talk with a close friend.  Even though my clients and I often share some good laughs, good  work is also being done.  I  know from years of experience that when a person faces their struggles with a supportive, experienced therapist who really listens and comes to truly understand them, it opens the opportunity for transformative changes.  I wholeheartedly believe that every single person has within them what it takes to heal with the right kind of help.  A big part of that is having say in your therapy and, therefore, not being expected to do anything that you are not ready for or not consenting to do.   

I primarily use an approach to therapy called Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing. EMDR therapy involves much more than the trauma reprocessing phase as it is best known for by most people. EMDR also incorporates the cognitions, somatic sensations and emotions as parts of a problem/experience that can be worked through. It also includes the use of teaching positive coping skills, calming strategies, and building up positive internal strengths, getting additional supports,  and use of the therapeutic relationship. 

I regularly use the FLASH technique, which is another way to provide desensitization to an especially difficult part of a traumatic event, including intrusive images or when the extreme upset is not easily approached without becoming overwhelmed. Neither of these therapies involves much talking in the reprocessing work unless this is needed by a client. Sometimes this helps the client’s brain do their own healing without informing the therapist about sensitive details. I utilize many components of other schools of therapy including Polyvagal Theory, Parts Work, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavioral  Therapy (DBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Exposure Response Prevention (ERP), Exposure exercises, Somatic exercises, Breath Work, use of Imagery, etc.  

Trauma affects how the brain’s neural pathways store aspects of those event(s) and also determine how we make meaning from our experiences. This can cause  lasting effects on our emotions, thoughts, beliefs, perceptions as well as influence the body responses (energy, pain, physical tension, heart rate, hormones, etc) throughout the lifespan.  This is because reminders of the past and resulting  fear / felt danger / sense of not having agency still FEELS PRESENT and therefore continues to activate old responses in the mind and the body.  

When we are still operating within a past, stuck framework (even if this is outside of our current awareness), it is necessary to go beyond traditional talk therapy. To heal from how trauma has gotten “stuck” in our nervous system, we can use corrective experiences with others and the right kind of help like EMDR to get the trauma material “unstuck,” so  we can fully eliminate the symptoms caused by the trauma. Particular symptoms, relational patterns, beliefs a person has about themselves and their world may have been completely appropriate and absolutely necessary for a past time / age /  situation,  but now may be hindering growth in present day life, in getting current needs met, and causing additional problems, pain and suffering.  

Learn how EMDR is especially effective in assisting people to heal from the effects of past adverse life events by clicking here to watch a tutorial made available by EMDRIA. 

Visit  www.EMDRIA.org to access research and other resources about EMDR.