Is Telehealth Confidential and Secure?

Telehealth facilitates access to mental health services using video and audio technology. Ana will send a link to join the virtual "room" at your session time. She uses an integrated system that is entirely confidential and HIPAA compliant; no video or audio components of your session are recorded or stored. Additionally, there is no software to download or subscription, which makes it easy!

What is EMDR?

EMDR ( Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) therapy aims to help you learn from past negative experiences, reduce current triggers that are causing you distress, and identify appropriate actions to liberate you from your past into a healthy present. EMDR brings attention to images, beliefs, emotions, physical sensations, and thoughts, increasing awareness and resiliency.

Your therapist uses sounds, eye movement, or taps in sets. At the same time, you focus on the past adverse event, inviting you to notice what comes to mind, shifts, insight, or changes in the images, thoughts, feeling, or beliefs regarding the traumatic event. You have the control to stop at any point if needed. The sounds, movements, taps, or eye movements are repeated until the event becomes less distressing. 

What does an EMDR Intensives session look like?

EMDR intensives are highly concentrated sessions, occurring 3-6 hours per day over 2-4 days. This structure allows focusing solely on healing, growth, and finding long-lasting relief. First, you and your therapist discuss an agenda, including various activities that will enable you to work on healing and increasing your resilience.

Your therapist will create a personalized plan with a cost estimate during your free consultation.

What happens after an EMDR session?

After an EMDR therapy session, individuals may not notice a change immediately; others may experience increased dreams, thoughts, and emotions about the event they are reprocessing. You may experience feeling physically and emotionally "exhausted" at the end of an EMDR processing session. You may want to take notes of thoughts, memories, dreams, emotions, or body sensations you experience between sessions to explore in the next session.

Who benefits from EMDR Intensives?

EMDR Intensives offer a chance for those with careers/ life experiences to repeat exposure to high stress or even someone with a recent one-off event. It needs to be worked on quickly and intentionally—the benefit of addressing something bothering you so you can return to your busy life caring for others. 

Healthcare providers, mental health professionals, lawyers, law enforcement, first responders, or anyone caring for others will benefit from EMDR intensive therapy.

Can we do an EMDR group? Yes!!

EMDR groups are recommended for organizations/businesses that want to care for their team's mental health while serving their customers. Compassion Fatigue and burnout often happen, especially under high-stress and demanding customers or work environments. Let us know how we can help your team!

The EMDR group will facilitate your team’s reduction of intense distress or anxiety without describing or discussing the event's details. Instead, the group facilitator guides participants while they listen to sounds or uses bilateral movements (taps). Your team will be invited to focus on the past/recent adverse event, to notice what comes to mind, shifts, insights, or changes in the images, thoughts, feelings, or beliefs regarding the traumatic event. Team members have the control to stop at any point if needed. The sounds, movements, and taps are repeated until the event becomes less distressing. EMDR-trained professionals facilitate the EMDR group, and there will be an intervention team if individual support is needed.

Is Play Therapeutic?

Play is considered the child’s medium of communication. In a therapeutic context, it is a way to help reduce anxiety and psychological impacts on a child's exposure to traumatic experiences or distress due to unexpected life changes. It is the goal of Sense of Self Counseling to help children heal. Through therapeutic play interventions, children develop the ability to express emotions and their thoughts appropriately, identify and manage their feelings, learn that they are acceptable and valid, and be creative and resourceful in confronting future problems -and choices- responsibly.