Can EMDR Help All Kinds Of Trauma?

Trauma comes in all different shapes and sizes. What causes trauma in one person may not in another. Some traumas are massive and life-changing for a person, while others may be ‘smaller’ but still have an impact on daily life.

At Inside Wellness in beautiful Utah County, many of the individuals who choose EMDR therapy have experienced trauma of some kind. In our experience, EMDR is one of the best treatment options for healing from one or multiple traumas.

So-called ‘big’ traumas, such as sexual assault, abuse, divorce, death of a loved one, can be treated just as effectively with EMDR therapy as ‘smaller’ traumas, such as a car accident or ending a relationship.

What is EMDR?

EMDR is a powerful form of therapy that focuses on helping people recover and heal from all kinds of trauma, depression, anxiety, panic disorders, to name a few.

When a person experiences an event that it experiences as traumatic this can become ‘locked’ in the brain and body. The thoughts, feelings, sounds, body sensations, and other sensory elements that formed part of the original experience can start to repeat over and over, forcing the person to relive the trauma every time it is triggered.

It’s like part of the brain gets frozen in time, stuck reliving the traumatic event. Every time something happens that reminds the person of that event, it starts the whole chain over again.

Needless to say, this can be exhausting for the sufferer, and can lead to its own problems as the person starts to dread being triggered and having to relive the event again. This can lead to isolation, anxiety, compulsive behavior, and chronic fear.

The more conscious and analytical part of the brain can sometimes recognize that the reaction is out of proportion to the current reality. But when emotional and physiological cascade is triggered, the more rational side of the brain has no chance of stemming the tide. This tug of war between the rational and emotional sides of the brain show that they are not communicating properly. 

This is where EMDR therapy comes in. EMDR uses bilateral stimulation, such as eye movements, audible tones, and tapping to helps the two sides of the brain begin to communicate with each other, while simultaneously processing the triggering traumatic life event. This has a calming effect on the nervous system, as it is decreasingly stimulated to respond with the same heightened response it needed during the original event.

There are eight distinct phases to EMDR therapy. Phases One, Two, Six, Seven, and Eight appear similar to traditional talk therapy. Phases Four and Five involve the majority of the eye movements. Learn even more about EMDR therapy here.

What does EMDR accomplish?

Many people who work through EMDR therapy to process their traumatic experiences are so happy with the results that they begin recommending it to everyone they know.

When asked to describe their emotional and mental state after completing EMDR therapy, common words people use are: content, calm, peaceful, happy, relief.

Is EMDR as effective when treated virtually?

Virtual therapy sessions have become increasingly common in the past few years. Concern about infection, lack of available time, or other circumstances prompt many more people to seek treatment via telehealth or virtual video sessions.

Some people feel hesitant to try virtual therapy because they’re afraid they won’t be able to connect fully with their therapist or that there is some ‘magic’ to be found in a physical treatment room.

In our substantial experience working with EMDR and trauma, we have not seen either concern to be true. Working with an EMDR therapist virtually can be just as effective as working with the same therapist in person. EMDR works just as well when used virtually as it does in-person.

How can I find EMDR?

If you live in Salt Lake City, Park City, Draper, Lehi or Provo, or the surrounding area, or if you are going to school at the University of Utah or BYU, Inside Wellness has specialists trained in EMDR who want to help you.

If you have questions or want to schedule your first session ASAP, the first step is to schedule a time to chat with our Care Coordinator. She will help you find and schedule with the therapist who is best-suited to your individual needs.

Trauma can be life-changing, but so can EMDR therapy. If you’re suffering from a relived trauma, help is available! At Inside Wellness, you can find the support you need to heal and recover.

Begin Online EMDR Therapy in Utah

Are you looking for EMDR online counseling in Utah? We are happy to say that you've come to the right place. Here at Inside Wellness, we provide online EMDR therapy as well as body image, self-esteem, eating disorders, and anxiety therapy. Our counselors are highly-skilled and experienced professionals who can help you get the treatment you need from the comfort of your own home. Plus, our online counseling is convenient and quick to fit into even the busiest of schedules.

If you're ready to get started, you can follow these simple steps:

1. Reach out to us about scheduling a free 15-minute phone consultation.

2. Learn more about our counseling services and the members of our team.

3. Get set up with a counselor who is right for you!

Additional Services Offered at Inside Wellness

• Body Image and Eating Disorder Therapy

• Anxiety Counseling

• Depression Treatment

How To Help If Your Brother Has An Eating Disorder

Brothers are the best. But seeing yours suffering from an eating disorder can feel like it’s eating you alive.

Anxiety and depression are on the rampage today as never before. Sometimes, even a seemingly small event can trigger a change in a person that leads them down the path of an eating disorder.

If you see your brother suffering from an eating disorder, what can you do?

Firstly, don’t panic and don’t pressure him. This is one time when you really don’t want to sound like a nagging brother or sister. Your brother needs to know and feel that you have his back and really want to help him.

Real support is not enabling. It involves you setting aside your own feelings and agenda, helping your brother feel safe, and reassuring him that you love him and will not leave him.

An eating disorder can be a lonely experience.

Sufferers are often misunderstood. It can be scary for them to feel like the compulsive behavior that makes them feel ‘better’ is going to be taken away from them. This can actually lead to the worsening of symptoms.

So don’t try to bulldoze your brother into doing what you think will help him. Do the research and share it with him at a good time for HIM.

Maybe find some local therapy practices that specialize in treating eating disorders and share those with him too. Keep reassuring him that you love him, that you want to help him, and that you will never give up trying to help him.

It’s important that you know that there real help is available, and it does work. Your brother can get better. But the decision to work towards wellness can only come from him - forcing someone to go to therapy may be a waste of time if they are not choosing for themselves to pursue treatment.

It’s also important to find a therapist who specializes in treating eating disorders.

They will be best able to support and guide your brother on his journey towards mental and physical wellness IF he chooses it.

Inside Wellness are a team of mental health professionals who specialize in treating eating disorders. We care for individuals in the Salt Lake Valley, Utah Valley, Salt Lake City, Provo, Orem, the University of Utah, BYU, and beyond.

Our team of warm, empathetic therapists are highly trained in treating eating disorders and will work alongside your brother on his journey toward mental health and wholeness.

The choice must come from your brother. Encourage him to reach out for help. Don’t give up on your brother or get angry with him. Support him and gently help him choose to get the support he needs.

Begin Eating Disorder Treatment in Provo, UT

Finding the right support can make all the difference in your recovery journey. Our team of caring therapists would be happy to offer support from our Provo, UT-based therapy practice. You can start your therapy journey with Inside Wellness by following these simple steps:

1. schedule a call with our experienced Care Coordinator to find the best fit

2. Meet with a caring therapist

3. Start overcoming eating disorders!

Other Services Offered With Inside Wellness

Our team understands you may experience a number of mental health concerns in addition to eating disorder treatment. This is why we are happy to offer support with a variety of mental health services. Other services offered include body image counseling, anxiety therapy, EMDR Therapy, and online Therapy in Utah. Feel free to visit our blog or FAQ to learn more helpful information!

Is EMDR Like Hypnotherapy Hypnosis?

EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization & Reprocessing) is a proven therapy that helps the mind and body to work together to change thought patterns and deeply-held beliefs.

While this may sound similar to hypnotherapy, the EMDR and hypnosis are very different ways to treat the challenges that can result from traumatic life experiences. 

Hypnosis as it is used in psychology involves moving the client into a trance-like (or hypnotic) state where they are simultaneously very relaxed with heightened mental focus. While the client is in this state, the psychologist will try to guide the person towards a specific goal or change. Hypnosis is a controversial treatment. Its aim is to target suppressed traumatic memories and change the client’s perception of those memories. It also relies on the individual to choose to respond, which can be unpredictable. 

EMDR, on the other hand, requires the client to be entirely conscious and uses techniques that are proven to have biophysical effects. 

This therapy modality builds through eight stages, normally lasting 8-12 sessions. It involves the therapist helping the client to gradually remember events from the traumatic event or events that resulted in their current symptoms. During the later stages of the process, the therapist uses guiding eye movements while talking about the traumatic experience. This use of distraction and external stimuli allows the client to recall and reprocess the memories more easily, without repeatedly going through intense emotional stress.

Another key difference between the two forms of treatment are their end goals: hypnosis focuses on achieving a single goal, whereas EMDR has a much broader reach, helping the client deal with PTSD symptoms caused by trauma and its associated memories.

EMDR is more researched than hypnosis, particularly for treatment of PTSD. Over 20 studies have found EMDR to be effective in trauma treatment.

If you are suffering from the results of a traumatic experience, EMDR may be able to help you restore your mental balance and inner peace.

At Inside Wellness, we are proud to offer the services of EMDR-specialist, Angela Cox. Angela uses EMDR to help you process your trauma and regain control of your mental health.

Schedule a call today with our Care Coordinator to book your first session with Angela.

How To Help If Your Sister Has An Eating Disorder

Seeing someone you love suffering is never easy. It can be particularly hard when it’s your sister.

Anxiety and depression are increasingly common in our crazy world, but unexpected events, even seemingly small ones, can trigger a change in a person that leads them down the path of an eating disorder.

If you see your sister suffering from a diagnosed eating disorder, or what you think might be an eating disorder, what can you do?

Firstly, don’t panic and don’t pressure her to get help. She needs to know and feel that you really care for her and want what’s best for her.

Real support is not enabling. It involves you setting aside your own feelings and agenda, really listening, and reassuring your sister that you love her.

An eating disorder can be a lonely experience.

Sufferers are often misunderstood. It can be scary for them to feel like the compulsive behavior that makes them feel ‘better’ is going to be taken away from them. This can actually lead to a worsening of symptoms.

So don’t try to scare or force your sister into doing what you think will help her. Do research, share it with her at a good time for HER, and maybe find some local therapy practices that specialize in treating eating disorders, and share those with her too. Keep reassuring her that you love her, that you want to help her, and that you will never give up on her.

It’s important that you know that there IS help available, and it does work.

Your sister can get better. But the decision to work towards wellness can only come from inside her - forcing someone to go to therapy can not be as effective as when they choose to engage in treatment for themselves.

A therapist who specializes in treating eating disorders will be able to support and guide your sister on her journey towards mental and physical wellness IF she chooses it. And choosing recovery is very terrifying for the person who is struggling even though it may seem obvious to you that they would be happier if they sought treatment.

Begin Eating Disorder Treatment in Provo, UT, & Beyond

If you are in the Salt Lake Valley, Utah Valley, Salt Lake City, Provo, or Orem, Inside Wellness can help. Our team of warm, empathetic therapists are highly trained in treating eating disorders and will work gently with your sister to help her back towards mental health and wholeness.

The choice must be your sister’s. Encourage her to reach out for help. She can schedule a call with our warm Care Coordinator, who will help her find the therapist that will be right for her.

You obviously love your sister to be reading this. Support her and gently help her to get the support she needs.

Other Services Offered With Inside Wellness

Our team understands you may experience a number of mental health concerns in addition to eating disorder treatment. This is why we are happy to offer support with a variety of mental health services. Other services offered include body image counseling, anxiety therapy, EMDR Therapy, and online Therapy in Utah. Feel free to visit our blog or FAQ to learn more helpful information!

Why do I have an eating disorder?

When you’re suffering from a physical or mental illness that profoundly affects your daily life, it can feel phenomenally unfair. ‘What did I do to deserve this?’ you may ask. Or ‘Why me? Why do I have an eating disorder?’

First of all, you did NOTHING to deserve the illness you suffer from. The sad reality is that our bodies and minds are not perfect and they can break down in seemingly endless ways. The good news is that there ARE things you can do to improve things. There is help available, and it DOES work.

The answer to the last question can be complicated. Many disorders can be traced back to negative thoughts that are triggered by trauma or exposure, prolonged stress, and environmental triggers. But eating disorders often stem from a complex interaction of biological, psychological, and environmental factors.

Some of the many triggers for an eating disorder include:

• Diet Culture

• Depression

• Anxiety

• Trauma

• Peer pressure

• Bullying

• Body dissatisfaction

• Genetic factors

This does NOT mean, however, that if you suffer from anxiety or negative self-talk that you will develop an eating disorder. The reasons why a certain mental illness affects one person and not another are many and complex.

One of the best people to help you explore why you’re suffering from an eating disorder and how best to treat it is a qualified mental health therapist. They will help you develop tools that can challenge unhelpful or negative thoughts, and work towards inner peace and calm.

Inside Wellness in Utah are specialists in helping individuals suffering from eating disorders. Each of our highly-trained therapists wants to help you recover and will treat you with warmth, respect, and dignity.

Reach out for help today - schedule a call with our Care Coordinator, who will help you find your idea therapist match.

Can Thoughts Affect An Eating Disorder?

Eating disorders are complicated afflictions, involving a web of triggers, negative thoughts, and downward spirals.

Thoughts not only affect eating disorders, they can be intrinsic in WHY the eating disorder started in the first place. This understanding may feel depressing…but it’s also good news, because if thoughts were involved at the beginning and now, they can also be retrained to work FOR you instead of against you.

We all suffer from negative thoughts at times, maybe even often. However, the difference with someone who suffers from an eating disorder is that these thoughts have created a particularly complex thought matrix that results in compulsive behaviors towards eating.

Low self-worth, early trauma, perfectionism, depression, anxiety, peer pressure, societal pressure, and negative body image can all be involved in this web of thoughts. And once they become entrenched, they can be difficult to break free from.

Sometimes, a sufferer of an eating disorder may not even WANT to stop these thoughts because they lead to the compulsions that make them feel better - at least, temporarily.

Recognizing that these compulsions are negatively impacting your life and relationships is often the first step to getting help.

Thoughts CAN be retrained. It takes time, effort, and expert guidance, but you CAN make a difference and improve your life.

A therapist who specializes in treating eating disorders can guide you on this journey towards mental and physical wellness.

If you are in the Salt Lake Valley, Utah Valley, Salt Lake City, Provo, or Orem, Inside Wellness can help you. Our team of warm, empathetic therapists are highly trained in treating eating disorders, and we want to help you.

Reach out for help today - schedule a call with our warm Care Coordinator, who will help you find your ideal therapist match.

Can EMDR Help With Negative Thoughts?

EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization & Reprocessing) is a proven therapy modality with many studies and research to back it up. It involves a mind-body approach to change, and can be extremely powerful for helping individuals change negative thought patterns, negative core beliefs, strong emotional reactions, and entrenched habits.

Although it may sound intimidating, EMDR is quite simple and involves mindfulness and guided meditation exercises combined with external stimuli (like guided eye movements) to ‘reprogram’ thoughts and behavior.

It is an 8-stage process during which you are always completely conscious and in control of your participation.

The goal is to help you work through memories that cause you emotional distress in a gentle way while moving you towards how you want to think and feel.

EMDR empowers you to change and even reverse negative thought patterns that have taken up residence in your mind, body, and nervous system. It can help you to reduce and even eliminate these negative thoughts and reactions, allowing you to move purposefully towards inner calm and mental balance.

If EMDR sounds like something you think you might benefit from, schedule a call with our Care Coordinator today.

Our EMDR-specialist, Angela, will gently work with you and support you through the process of restoring your inner peace.

How Perfectionism Can Ruin Relationships

Perfectionism can be exhausting to live with - both for you and your loved ones. Trying to reach and maintain extremely high standards in relationships can lead to depression, anxiety, stress, and burnout. 

While high standards can be a positive thing, moving us to do our best in a task or activity, constant perfectionism can wear you down. It can lead to feelings of being trapped, anxiety, depression, loneliness, and isolation.

It can also insidiously wear down your relationships, as people start to feel it’s impossible to reach or maintain your high standards. This can lead to feelings of sadness and disconnection in both partners even when ultimately you both want to see each other succeed while simultaneously feeling connected.

Some stress and pressure can be good. But humans are just not equipped to cope with extreme or constant pressure and stress. It affects our bodies and minds negatively.

Perfectionism often begins with a series of negative thoughts or beliefs that become increasingly entrenched. The good news is that this same downward spiral of negative thinking can often be unwound back to its source.

A trained therapist who specializes in treating perfectionism in relationships will be able to help you work towards the mental balance and inner peace you (and your loved ones!) crave.

At Inside Wellness Utah, we specialize in a holistic approach to your mental health. Our perfectionism and relationship expert, Angela, specializes in helping you restore balance to your mental health and your relationships.

A common side effect of perfectionism is procrastination. Don’t procrastinate with getting the help you need to restore your mental health and relationships!

Schedule a call with our Care Coordinator today to book your first session with Angela.

Is Perfectionism A Form Of Anxiety?

At its most basic, perfectionism is the desire to be perfect as a person or in some area of your life (eg. work).

Unfortunately, Western culture does not nurture balance. We’re under constant pressure from the media and society, in general, to be perfect - or as close to it as possible - in pretty much every aspect of our lives. Often, we’re so used to living with this type of thinking that we don’t even recognize it as unbalanced.

This pressure can be very difficult to resist and succumbing to perfectionist thinking is an ever-present reality. However, perfectionist thinking can have some major negative impacts on mental health. 

While perfectionism is not on its own a form of anxiety, it can absolutely feed anxiety and anxiety disorders.

People with disorders like obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), panic disorder, and social anxiety disorder can be even more vulnerable to experiencing issues with perfectionism.

Perfectionism usually happens as a result of trying to live up to an internally-created ideal, but it can also stem from fear of judgment or the perception of others. 

These negative thoughts and beliefs may begin to result in avoidance behaviors, isolation, and depression. Some people become so overwhelmed with the stress and constant demands of perfectionism that they become paralyzed by fear and negative thinking. 

If you are struggling with perfectionism, or perfectionism and anxiety, help is absolutely available.

With the help of a trained therapist who specializes in anxiety, perfectionistic thoughts can often be traced back to the originating core beliefs and challenged in a safe environment. There are also practical tools you can learn to help you cope with the effects of perfectionism.

Begin Addressing Perfectionism With An Anxiety Therapist in Utah

At Inside Wellness, we can offer you a safe space to work through these challenges with a trained expert. Our team specializes in helping clients with perfectionism and anxiety. We would be honored to help you work through the traumatic life experiences that can trigger perfectionism. To start your therapy journey, please follow these simple steps:

1. Schedule a call with our Care Coordinator to book your first session.

2. Meet with a caring therapist

3. Start learning to cope with perfectionist tendencies!

Other Services Offered at Inside Wellness

We understand you may experience a number of mental health concerns in addition to anxiety counseling. This is why we are happy to offer support with a variety of mental health services. Other services offered include body image counseling, eating disorder therapy, and online Therapy in Utah. Feel free to visit our blog or FAQ to learn more helpful information!

Compulsive Exercise and Eating Disorders

Frequent and regular exercise is seen as a good thing in our culture. And when done in moderation it certainly can benefit our physical and mental health.

However, Compulsive Exercise Disorder (sometimes referred to as Exercise Addiction) is different and is actually classified as a significant symptom of an eating disorder. It happens when a person is driven to exercise too much. Pretty much nothing will stop a suffer from exercising, even injury, illness, bad weather, or going out with friends.

Compulsive Exercise and eating disorders are often seen together. An individual with bulimia may exercise excessively as a way to compensate for binge eating. Or someone with an eating disorder may work out excessively as a way to compensate for eating “too much” food or certain types of food.

A person with Compulsive Exercise Disorder may exhibit some or all of the following behaviors:

• They won't skip a workout, even if they’re tired, sick, or injured

• They can't take time off from working out

• They may seem anxious or guilty when they miss even one workout

• They are constantly preoccupied with their weight and exercise routine

• They exercise even more after eating a lot or missing a workout

• They will eat much less if they can't exercise

• They give up seeing friends or other activities and abandon responsibilities to make more time for exercise

• They appear to base their self-worth on the number of workouts they complete and the effort they put into training

• They are never satisfied with their own physical achievements

• They may have irregular periods or stress fractures

This disorder can be completely exhausting for the sufferer. They may feel trapped in an endless cycle - and believe ‘just one more workout’ will make them ‘feel better’.

It can be difficult to diagnose Compulsive Exercise Disorder because what amounts to ‘too much exercise’ is so subjective. Often, it takes the sufferer recognizing and admitting to themself that something isn’t right and reaching out for help.

If you think you may be suffering from Compulsive Exercise Disorder, there are things you can do to help yourself. They could include:

• Eating 3 meals and snacks on days you do and don’t excercise

• Enjoy exercise by being active together with friends or family.

• Try to increase your flexibility around exercise by exercising for less time or intensity or frequency

• Try to find new ways to cope with and ease stress.

If you think that you might be exercising too much, talking to a licensed therapist trained in eating disorders and/or Compulsive Exercise Disorder can really help. They have the experience and tools to help you examine your thoughts and behaviors, and see where you could introduce more balance.

Inside Wellness Utah specializes in the treatment of eating disorders. Our caring, empathetic team want to help you regain your balance and inner peace.

Schedule a call today with our Care Coordinator, who will help match you with the best therapist for you.