Seattle EMDR Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing

Are you having trouble dealing with a particular issue or coping with a disturbing or traumatic event? Do you experience painful recollections of this event or recurring nightmares? Do you feel like you always have to watch out for danger or do you startle easily? You may be experiencing symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder or PTSD. George Ankuta Ph.D. in Queen Anne Seattle, WA offers treatment for PTSD and trauma. One modality of treatment that Dr. Ankuta has been trained in and uses for the treatment of PTSD or trauma is EMDR.

What is EMDR?

Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing, is a late-stage, trauma resolution method. Developed in the late 1980’s, EMDR is supported by scientific research as an effective treatment for trauma based on empirical evidence. EMDR has proven an efficacious and rapid method of reprocessing traumatic material. EMDR appears to assist in processing of traumatic information, resulting in enhanced integration – and a more adaptive perspective of the traumatic material. The utilization of EMDR can supplement psychoanalytic and behavioral treatment of a variety of conditions, including generalized and specific anxieties, panic, PTSD symptoms such as intrusive thoughts, nightmares, and flashbacks, dissociative disorders, mood disorders, and other traumatic experiences. So, theoretically, EMDR is about integration including bilateral hemispheric right and left brain integration as well as triune brain integration, which is integration of the brain stem, the limbic system and the cerebral cortex; and at least some type of mind and body integration, but practically, it’s about convincing the mind and body that the traumatic event is, indeed over. EMDR helps to put the past in the past, where it belongs, instead of staying stuck in it and feeling like the event is happening all over again in the present-with the same thoughts, emotions and body sensations- that accompanied the event in the past.

The Treatment You Need

George Ankuta Ph.D.’s goal is to equip patients with the tools and treatments they need to enjoy full, happy, healthy lives. Dr. Ankuta is committed to his patients’ long-term health and wellbeing. He understands that seeking treatment for a psychological disorder can be frightening, but he wants you to know that you’re not alone.
If you or someone you love is struggling with an untreated psychological trauma, don’t wait. Call George Ankuta Ph.D. in Seattle, WA now to schedule an appointment.