What we use EMDR for
Childhood trauma
PTSD and single-incident trauma
Sexual assault and domestic violence recovery
Burnout that talk therapy hasn't shifted
Anxiety with a clear origin event
What a session actually looks like
You and your therapist agree on the memory you're working with. You hold a piece of it in mind while following a moving cue with your eyes, in short sets lasting under a minute. Between sets, you say what came up. That's it.
You stay awake, you stay in control, and you can stop at any point. It isn't hypnosis and you won't be made to relive anything in detail. Most people find it less verbally exhausting than talk therapy, because you aren't required to narrate the worst thing that ever happened to you before you can work on it.
Sessions run 90 minutes rather than the usual 55, because the processing needs room to open and close inside one appointment.
When EMDR, and when something else
EMDR fits when there's a specific event or a cluster of events your system is still reacting to. You know the memory. It just doesn't feel like it's in the past.
Talk therapy fits better when what you're carrying is a pattern rather than an event: how you were raised, how you handle conflict, who you become at work.
Somatic work fits when the reaction lives in your body and you can't trace it to a moment at all.
Most people end up with a blend, and the blend changes as you do. If you're not sure which describes you, that's genuinely fine. Working that out is what thefirst two sessions are for.
Who provides it here
Nishani Jayawardena
LPC, NCC, EMDR-T
Trauma, EMDR for childhood trauma, immigrant and first-generation identity
Shelby McCliggott
LPC, ACS, EMDR-T
Sexual assault and domestic violence recovery, PTSD, veterans, Black women's mental health
You don't have to find the words first
Tell us roughly what you're carrying. We'll work out together whether EMDR is the right way in.
Insurance & Payment Options for Therapy in Michigan
We accept most major insurance plans. Attunigrate is in-network with Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan, Blue Care Network, Aetna, Priority Health, and UnitedHealthcare.
Most clients using insurance pay a copay between $25 and $75 per session, depending on their plan. We verify your exact cost before your first session so there are no surprises.
Testimonial
At first I was hesitant to try EMDR because I didn't fully understand but after 6 short sessions I can tell a big difference in how I respond to the same things that used to trigger me in the past. EMDR can be so helpful for anyone who cannot or does not have the words to describe what happened to them. It's not always about talking.
D.V.
