Certified EMDR Therapist

Trauma therapy conveniently located in Frederick

Carol van Doorn, LCSW-C

At least 70% of adults in the U.S. have experienced at least one traumatic event. Signs of trauma can include depression, sadness, hyperawareness, or numbness.  They may also include irritability, shame/guilt, nightmares, flashbacks, or substance use, among others.

EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) is a psychotherapy that enables people to heal from the symptoms and emotional distress that are the result of disturbing life experiences, including accidents, violence, abuse, chronic pain, certain military experiences, and more.  Repeated studies show that by using EMDR therapy people can experience the benefits of psychotherapy that once took years to make a difference.

EMDR therapy shows that the mind can in fact heal from psychological trauma much as the body recovers from physical trauma. To date, EMDR therapy has helped millions of people of all ages relieve many types of psychological stress by enabling the mind to heal.

Video courtesy of EMDR International Association: https://www.emdria.org

WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION (2013)
Guidelines for the Management of Conditions Specifically Related to Stress. Geneva, Switzerland: Author.
Trauma-focused CBT and EMDR are the only psychotherapies recommended for children, adolescents and adults with PTSD.

AMERICAN PSYCHIATRIC ASSOCIATION (2004)
Practice Guideline for the Treatment of Patients with Acute Stress Disorder and Post-traumatic Stress Disorder. Arlington,VA: American Psychiatric Association Practice Guidelines.
EMDR therapy was determined to be an effective treatment of trauma.

DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS AND DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE (2017)
VA/DoD Clinical Practice Guideline for the Management of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and Acute Stress Disorder. Washington, DC: Veterans Health Administration, Department of Veterans Affairs and Health Affairs, Department of Defense.
EMDR was given the highest level of recommendation and placed in the category of three “trauma-focused psychotherapies with the strongest evidence from clinical trials . . . These treatments have been tested in numerous clinical trials, in patients with complex presentations and comorbidities, compared to active control conditions, have long-term follow-up, and have been validated by research teams other than the developers.”RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED STUDIES
36 randomized controlled studies have evaluated EMDR therapy in the treatment of trauma.