Common Questions
“You are braver than you believe,
smarter than you seem,
and stronger than you think.”
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- Winnie the Pooh
How will EMDR be different then the past therapy that I’ve experienced?
There will be some similarities and some differences. It’s difficult to compare without knowing your past history, however, I can assure you that I will be an empathetic listener, you will be in a judgment-free space, I will be invested in helping you reach your goals. The different things you may notice is that together we will discover coping skills customized to you (such as ways that help you to find relaxation and to get grounded in the present moment) and that during the sessions where we are processing there will actually be less talking then you may be used to as we will be allowing your brain to do a lot of the work for you.
What if I’m on the fence about scheduling a session?
Committing to your first session can be daunting, It’s okay to feel unsure. If you’d like to, you may call and schedule a 15-20min consult to meet with me and determine if we’ll be a good fit to work together or not. We can discuss what it is that you would like to work on, you can get to know me and I can get to know you. If we determine that we are not a good match, I would be glad to refer you to a therapist who may be a better fit of your needs.
I want to book a session, how do I get started?
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Request an Appointment: Head over to the 'Request Appointment' form and briefly share what you'd like to work on together.
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I'll email you back: I'll let you know if it seems like we'd be a good fit and, if so, I'll provide a link to my calendar where you can pick a day/time to schedule your first session.
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Fill me in: Once scheduled, I'll send you intake paperwork to complete prior to your first session
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Contact me if you have any questions at all!
Will everything we talk about in sessions be private?
Maintaining privacy is very important to me and there are laws that help keep everything you share in sessions confidential. There are a few exceptions to this which can be found in the Privacy Policy, which I will gladly supply upon request and will be provided to you upon scheduling an appointment in the client portal.
How does EMDR work virtually?
Once you get to the step of EMDR where you are reprocessing the memories/traumas/events that you're coming in for, we need to prompt the different sides of your brain back and forth, this i call Bi-lateral Stimulation. This is most commonly done using eye movements, following something back and forth with your eyes such as your therapist's hand or a light bar. To do this online, you would be following a dot back and forth on your computer screen. It's actually pretty cool. If just reading this confuses you then you're welcome to check out more about what to expect during the sessions here.
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When can we meet?
Once I send you the link you the link to my calendar you can see when when my available appointment is. You can email me anytime to ask what how long that may be at anytime (Brittani@NextChapterAZ.com).
In general, I hold sessions Tuesday- Thursdays between 10am - 5pm.
How often will we meet?
It’s typical to meet once per week in order to maintain focus, safety, and to stay productive. However, this is flexible per person and per situation. If you're eager to get moving along, it's possible to meet twice in a week at the beginning so we can have our initial session, get some skills under your belt, and then switch to once per week once we start more of the EMDR reprocessing part.
How do I prepare for my first session?
You can get ready for your first session by completing the paperwork provided to you once you schedule your session, which helps me to get an overall picture of your world and may help you clarify what you’re hoping to achieve in therapy. If you have multiple traumas that you'd like to address, you might find it helpful to create a list and prioritize them.
Is it worth the money?
I get it, I’ve been in your shoes. Although it may sound a bit cheesy, therapy is truly an investment into your future. There are many ways to work through challenges in your life, however, if you reach a point where you are no longer improving then it may be time to reach out to someone who has years of experience helping others heal from similar issues. If you think you will regret more time passing without feeling better then now may be a good time to get started. I have worked with people who have experienced traumas that have ruled their world for many years and within a few sessions have felt free of that emotional pain, it’s difficult to put a price on what value that can add to a life. Feel free to learn more about EMDR and the impressive resume it has for healing on my website here and EMDR Institute, Inc's website here.