Heal Trauma at the Source with EMDR Therapy

How Trauma Works and How EMDR Can Help

Have you ever struggled with a nagging insecurity that you just couldn’t shake?  Sometimes no matter how many times you try to talk yourself out of it, the truth just doesn’t feel true.  “I’m not good enough,” “I’m not safe,” “I’m worthless,” “I’m helpless,” and “It’s my fault,” are just a few of the common insecurities that many of us struggle with day in and day out, like heavy packs strapped to our backs. Often times, these insecurities develop when we’re young, and continue to grow into adulthood as our deepest fears are reinforced over time. The lies feel true because when we experience emotional trauma, memories are literally stored in our brains in a way that is cut off from our more mature, adult perspective. Thankfully, there is a ground-breaking therapy called EMDR that can provide lasting healing from our emotional wounds and free us to live the lives we were intended to.

The negative emotions connected to our past tend to be so uncomfortable that many of us compartmentalize the memories so we don’t have to deal with them.  Avoidance works, for a while.  Eventually the old hurts catch up with us and when this happens its common to self-medicate them through addictive substances, compulsive behaviors, or emotional numbness.  Thankfully, with EMDR we don’t just stir up painful memories and then send you home.  In an EMDR therapy session, painful memories and the emotions that are attached to them finally come out so that they can be desensitized and calmed down permanently.  As the body begins to relax a more truthful, adult perspective is able to link in to the memory and reshape it.  With EMDR, the natural healing capacity of our brains is unlocked to create new neuro-networks, new insights, and lasting change!

After EMDR, someone who was abused or neglected as a child can think about the worst of it and feel a sense of calm inside.  They can finally say, “I was just a kid, and it’s not my fault.”  After EMDR, the military veteran, assault victim, or accident survivor can feel the same sense of peace and perspective.  They can finally say, “I’m safe now,” “It’s over,” or “I did the best I could.”  If you have suffered physical, sexual, spiritual, or emotional abuse, grew up in a family system of shame or neglect, have not been able to fully grieve the loss of a loved one, or have survived an event you experienced to be traumatic, EMDR therapy may be helpful in your process of healing.  If given the opportunity, the EMDR therapists at North Woods Christian Counseling would be honored to work with you.

Our trained therapists are ready to help, and provide in-person EMDR therapy in White Bear Lake, MN, and the surrounding Twin Cities metro area of St. Paul, Minneapolis, and it’s suburbs. We also provide online EMDR therapy to all of Minnesota. Almost all our therapists are trained in EMDR therapy, and we are a leader in Minnesota for healing trauma therapy. The team is led by Mark Odland, who is a Certified Therapist, Approved Consultant, and Approved Continuing Education Provider through EMDRIA (the EMDR International Association). Mark trains therapists around the world through his consultation services and online courses, and has brought North Woods Christian Counseling to the cutting edge of the intersection between trauma therapy and Christian faith. While he is no longer personally accepting new clients, he closely supervises his team and is actively involved in the healing process for the clinic’s clients.