[et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”4.23.4″ _module_preset=”default” da_disable_devices=”off|off|off” locked=”off” global_colors_info=”{}” da_is_popup=”off” da_exit_intent=”off” da_has_close=”on” da_alt_close=”off” da_dark_close=”off” da_not_modal=”on” da_is_singular=”off” da_with_loader=”off” da_has_shadow=”on”][et_pb_row admin_label=”row” _builder_version=”4.16″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” locked=”off” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.16″ custom_padding=”|||” global_colors_info=”{}” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]Anyone who’s been around longer than a decade knows that trends come and go. From wide-legged jeans to skinny jeans… From sheer gloss to lip stains. But some trends mean a little more – especially when it comes to your mental health.
Fortunately for you, EMDR therapy has withstood the test of time and has research to support it. While EMDR therapy is not a “fix,” it is effective for a variety of stressful experiences, including trauma, complex grief, anxiety, etc, and has long-lasting results.
In today’s blog, we’ll delve into EMDR therapy and explore its benefits for women in St. George, UT, who want to experience the process and its results firsthand. Happily, our dedicated team of EMDR therapists is ready to answer your questions and help get your therapy journey started at our counseling and therapy office in Southern Utah.[/et_pb_text][et_pb_heading title=”What does “EMDR” therapy stand for?” _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” title_level=”h2″ title_font=”|700|||||||” global_colors_info=”{}”][/et_pb_heading][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” locked=”off” global_colors_info=”{}”]EMDR stands for Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing. I know, it’s a mouthful! Maybe more important to understand is that EMDR is a form of therapy that has been around since 9187 and was developed by Dr. Francine Shapiro.
Dr. Shapiro discovered that a combination of focusing on The Thing that’s stressing you out (e.g., fighting in the military, the overwhelm of motherhood, sexual assault, etc) while moving your eyes back-and-forth provided relief on three different levels:
- Mental overwhelm and intrusive (i.e., stubborn or unwanted) thoughts
- Emotional distress, such as fear, depression, anxiety, etc.
- Physical discomfort, such as tightness in the chest, headaches or nausea
In other words, it didn’t just help you think about your stress differently. It worked holistically on the nervous system to help clients feel more regulated and steady.[/et_pb_text][et_pb_button button_url=”https://guidedwellnesscounselingut.com/emdrtherapy/” button_text=”MORE ABOUT EMDR THERAPY IN ST. GEORGE UT” button_alignment=”center” module_class=”postButton” _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” custom_button=”on” button_text_color=”#FFFFFF” button_bg_color=”#35736F” button_border_radius=”21px” custom_margin=”20px||20px||true|false” button_text_size_tablet=”14px” button_text_size_phone=”8px” button_text_size_last_edited=”on|phone” global_colors_info=”{}”][/et_pb_button][et_pb_image src=”https://guidedwellnesscounselingut.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/preview_image-2-scaled.jpg” alt=”holding a phone” title_text=”preview_image (2)” _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][/et_pb_image][et_pb_heading title=”What happens during an EMDR therapy session?” _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” title_level=”h2″ title_font=”|700|||||||” global_colors_info=”{}”][/et_pb_heading][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]Several aspects distinguish an EMDR therapy session from traditional talk therapy. First and foremost, there are eye movements. Remember? EMDR therapy stands for Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing. Many of the women who come to Guided Wellness Counseling for EMDR therapy are aware that, at some point, we’ll ask them to move their eyes back and forth, typically following our hand or a light moving on a light bar. We call this bilateral movement.
For a variety of reasons (including personal preference and comfort), some clients skip the light bar and use tappers – small handheld devices that vibrate left, right, left, right… This back-and-forth tapping movement has the same effect as the back-and-forth eye movements. Your therapist will help you identify which form of bilateral movement is most effective and comfortable for you.
And just in case this sounds a bit unusual to you, know that you are already engaging in bilateral movement throughout the day anyway. Walking is the most common form of bilateral movement. Ever gone on a walk to get clarity? Or to calm down after a long day? Yup – our bodies love bilateral movement. We also rock babies to soothe them. And many of us sway when we’re waiting in a long line, trying to be patient.[/et_pb_text][et_pb_heading title=”How does eye movement (or tapping) help me heal?” _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” title_level=”h2″ title_font=”|700|||||||” global_colors_info=”{}”][/et_pb_heading][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]A simple answer is that bilateral movement seems to have a calming effect on the nervous system. These back-and-forth movements help our brain to seek safety and ‘calm’ – an important thing when you’ve arrived at therapy wanting to work through a memory, event, or season in life when you feel anything but safe or calm.
But we need to add another layer here. It’s not just about the eye movements. When you meet with your EMDR therapist at our St. George office (or online for virtual therapy appointments), you’ll also work to break down the topic/event you want to address. You can share as much or as little as you like about that topic, but then you’ll focus on that topic AND do eye movements at the same time.
The combination (attention on the top AND attention on moving your eyes) helps to reduce the intensity and distress in your mind, heart, and body. This combination of attention lights up your brain, allowing you to unstick troubling images, thoughts, feelings, or sensations. Trying to do both of these things at once gives you some distance from feeling the intensity of the topic/event, making EMDR therapy feel a bit more gentle at times.[/et_pb_text][et_pb_button button_url=”https://app.acuityscheduling.com/schedule/ced2f94c/appointment/76124480/calendar/11791995″ button_text=”SOUNDS GOOD – LET’S TALK! ” button_alignment=”center” module_class=”postButton” _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” custom_button=”on” button_text_color=”#FFFFFF” button_bg_color=”#35736F” button_border_radius=”21px” custom_margin=”20px||20px||true|false” button_text_size_tablet=”14px” button_text_size_phone=”8px” button_text_size_last_edited=”on|phone” locked=”off” global_colors_info=”{}”][/et_pb_button][et_pb_heading title=”Is EMDR therapy like hypnosis or brainwashing?” _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” title_level=”h2″ title_font=”|700|||||||” global_colors_info=”{}”][/et_pb_heading][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]EMDR therapy is not at all like hypnosis or brainwashing. Hypnosis uses altered states of consciousness (such as accessing your subconscious) while EMDR therapy depends on you being fully alert, embodied, and active throughout the session. Additionally, in hypnosis, there is often a state of profound relaxation. In contrast, in EMDR therapy, we allow for any difficult emotions to emerge, be experienced, and released, much like a wave swelling and then being released at the shore.
And brainwashing? Nope. Brainwashing is not a therapeutic concept or practice. It relies on force, coercion, and isolation to control what another person thinks or believes. In EMDR therapy, the therapist often makes an effort to ‘stay out of the way’ so that you can reach your own healthy and helpful conclusions about what you have experienced or are feeling overwhelmed by in real-time. Your therapist acts as a guide, using your own strengths and resources as fuel for your healing.[/et_pb_text][et_pb_heading title=”How is EMDR therapy different from talk therapy, CBT, or exposure therapy?” _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” title_level=”h2″ title_font=”|700|||||||” global_colors_info=”{}”][/et_pb_heading][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]I’m going to rely on the research here, since, as the owner of Guided Wellness Counseling, I’m partial to EMDR therapy and proud that our office is the premier provider of EMDR therapy for women in Southern Utah. I’ve also experienced the success of EMDR therapy in my own life for more than one trauma or season of life.
If you’ve been looking into trauma therapy, you may have come across different options like CBT (cognitive behavioral therapy), exposure therapy, or EMDR therapy. All of these approaches can help people heal from trauma, but EMDR therapy has some unique benefits that might make it the right fit for you.[/et_pb_text][et_pb_button button_url=”https://app.acuityscheduling.com/schedule/ced2f94c/appointment/76124480/calendar/11791995″ button_text=”BOOK A FREE PHONE CONSULTATION” button_alignment=”center” module_class=”postButton” _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” custom_button=”on” button_text_color=”#FFFFFF” button_bg_color=”#35736F” button_border_radius=”21px” custom_margin=”20px||20px||true|false” button_text_size_tablet=”14px” button_text_size_phone=”8px” button_text_size_last_edited=”on|phone” locked=”off” global_colors_info=”{}”][/et_pb_button][et_pb_image src=”https://guidedwellnesscounselingut.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/preview_image-1-scaled.jpg” alt=”woman holding a mug” title_text=”preview_image (1)” _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][/et_pb_image][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” locked=”off” global_colors_info=”{}”]Here are a few reasons our Southern Utah clients often choose EMDR:
- Relief can come faster. Many people notice changes in fewer sessions with EMDR therapy compared to traditional talk therapy. When you’ve been carrying heavy memories for years, getting relief sooner can feel like a huge weight lifted.
- You don’t have to retell every detail. With EMDR therapy, you don’t need to go over your trauma story again and again. Instead, the focus is on how your brain stores the memory and helping it “reprocess” the experience so it no longer feels as painful or triggering.
- A gentler way of facing hard memories. Exposure therapy often involves revisiting difficult memories in detail until they feel less overwhelming. EMDR therapy works differently—using those gentle eye movements or tapping while you recall memories, which helps the brain process without getting stuck in the same painful loop.
- Healing that lasts. Research shows EMDR therapy’s benefits don’t just fade once sessions end. For many people, the progress they make in therapy continues to hold strong months and even years later.
[/et_pb_text][et_pb_heading title=”Get Started With EMDR Therapy In St. George, UT | 84790″ _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” title_level=”h2″ title_font=”|700|||||||” locked=”off” global_colors_info=”{}”][/et_pb_heading][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” locked=”off” global_colors_info=”{}”]Do you feel like your past is showing up in ways that are unhelpful or even painful? Are you struggling to cope with present stress from parenting, loss, or a difficult life transition? Would you feel better to release thoughts of “I’m not enough…” or “I can’t trust anyone…”
If you’ve been wondering whether therapy could finally help you feel free from these overwhelming experiences, EMDR therapy may be worth exploring. At Guided Wellness Counseling, we often see women who feel exhausted by old patterns, burned out from
day-to-day stress, and ready for real change. EMDR therapy is one of the tools we use to help you reclaim your peace, your power, and your future.
You can choose to begin with a 15-minute complimentary phone consultation. During this call, we’ll help you explore your unique pain points and goals for therapy. Then we’ll answer all of your questions and match you with a therapist at our St. George, UT therapy office. If everything feels right, we’ll book your first appointment and start your healing journey. Along the way, you and your therapist will assess if EMDR therapy is the best course of action for your healing.[/et_pb_text][et_pb_button button_url=”https://app.acuityscheduling.com/schedule/ced2f94c/appointment/76124480/calendar/11791995″ button_text=”BOOK YOUR CONSULTATION NOW ” button_alignment=”center” module_class=”postButton” _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” custom_button=”on” button_text_color=”#FFFFFF” button_bg_color=”#35736F” button_border_radius=”21px” custom_margin=”20px||20px||true|false” button_text_size_tablet=”14px” button_text_size_phone=”8px” button_text_size_last_edited=”on|phone” locked=”off” global_colors_info=”{}”][/et_pb_button][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” locked=”off” global_colors_info=”{}”]It would be an honor to help you along this healing journey. Rest assured, it’s not too late for you to feel better. You don’t have to wait for time to heal your wounds. You don’t have to wait for this season of life to pass. You can make an appointment now that changes everything.[/et_pb_text][et_pb_image src=”https://guidedwellnesscounselingut.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/preview_image-scaled.jpg” alt=”looking out at red rocks” title_text=”preview_image” _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][/et_pb_image][/et_pb_column][/et_pb_row][/et_pb_section]