Susan J Marcus, LCSW, HHC
Therapy, counseling and coaching to help you to thrive

Greenwich, CT
(203) 531-3327



Break Free of Trauma with EMDR


We all experience traumatic events and many times they are naturally resolved so that the memory is no longer troublesome.  Sometimes, however, the trauma does not resolve itself.  EMDR or Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing is a psychotherapy for processing past difficult situations and traumas so that they may be integrated more adaptively.

 

The body, including the mind, is beautifully equipped to heal itself most of the time.  Just as your body knows how to mend a cut or scrap it has processes for mending emotional scars.  In the same way that a stitch or a crutch is sometimes needed to assist your body to heal.  EMDR aides your brain to do its natural healing process.

 

Why does it work?

The way memory is stored is seen as the underlying basis of mental health and pathology because it is the basis of perception, attitude and behavior.  If unpleasant memories get stuck in the nervous system they can cause distress. EMDR processes this disturbance to an adaptive resolution.  The process approaches all material in the past (the memory), the present (its effect on you today), and the future.

 

What will it be like?

I will guide you through the EMDR process, which includes information gathering, working with you to define the issue to be worked on, bilateral stimulation and feedback.

 

The bilateral stimulation is the movement of your eyes from side to side in order to activate neurological processing.  In a session this happens when, for example, the client follows my fingers right and left.  Although the traditional way to work with EMDR is using eye movements, it has been shown that several different types of bi-lateral stimulation are equally effective.  We will find the right method for you. For ease I will refer to the bi-lateral stimulation as eye movements in the following information.

 

As we use the eye movements to work through the difficult information and digest the old events; pictures, sensations, or emotions may arise. Your job is to notice them, just let them happen.  Imagine that you are on a train and the scenery is passing by.  Just notice the scenery without trying to grab hold of it or make it significant.

 

How long does it take?

EMDR has proven to be an extremely efficient method of processing traumas, big and small.  However, each person is unique and therefore the lengths of time will vary greatly.  Most reports find EMDR to be faster than other methods.

 

Please feel free to contact me with questions or to schedule an appointment.

 

 

Find Renewed Resiliency with SE


Trauma may result from a wide variety of stressors.  SE or Somatic Experiencing teaches that trauma is not caused by the event itself, but rather develops when the body, psyche, and nervous system have not processed the adverse events.

 

Why does it work?

Under threat, massive amounts of energy are mobilized in readiness for self-defense via the fight, flight, and freeze responses. But when we override these innate safety mechanisms we can create incomplete responses that get locked in the body. Many times overriding the response is the only possible action during the trauma event; however, it can result in an array of physical, cognitive, emotional, and behavioral symptoms.

 

SE offers a framework to assess if you are “stuck” in the fight, flight or freeze response and provides clinical tools to resolve these fixated physiological states. This process resets the autonomic nervous system restoring equilibrium.

 

What will it be like?

We will begin by teaching your body to regain access to its innate process.  In this way you are better able to manage trauma and day-to-day stressors.  When you are ready, I will gently guide you to develop increasing tolerance for difficult bodily sensations and suppressed emotions.  This allows you to complete the self-protective motor responses and release energy bound in the body, thus addressing the root cause of trauma symptoms.

 

SE resets the nervous system, restores inner balance, enhances resilience to stress, and increases vitality, equanimity, and capacity to actively engage in life.

 

Please feel free to contact me with questions or to schedule an appointment.

 

Call Susan J Marcus at: 203.531.3327