EMDR Therapy for Depression in Colorado

Does this sound familiar?

Oversleeping or not sleeping enough. Feeling listless and not enjoying things that used to bring you joy. Overeating or not eating enough. Pushing people away because you don’t have the emotional energy to engage. Overworking, over-exercising, or drinking too much to escape the feelings of emptiness or boredom. Difficulty focusing. Feeling paralyzed by decisions. Fatigue throughout the day. Not trusting your gut and intuition. Needing constant reassurance. Feeling worthless and like you’re a fraud who will be found out. The haters in your life commanding your mind and how you see yourself. Feeling like you don’t deserve or are not worthy of good things.

What is depression?

Depression can be debilitating and create a gnawing sense that you have lost control of your life. Common symptoms of depression include feelings of sadness, hopelessness, and worthlessness, difficulty concentrating or making decisions, changes in appetite or sleep patterns, and a loss of interest in activities that were once enjoyed.

Depression can have a negative impact on every aspect of an individual’s life, including work, relationships, and overall quality of life. It can cause difficulties in concentration, productivity, and motivation, leading to a decline in work or school performance. It can strain relationships with loved ones and lead to social isolation. Depression can make it challenging to feel enjoyment or engagement in life, creating the sense that you’re living a life not intended for you, as if you’re a cog in a wheel going through the motions, numb, or faking it.

How does EMDR help with depression?

At the EMDR Center of Denver, we provide highly effective, evidence-based treatment for depression, including EMDR and additional talk therapy options depending on your individual goals and needs. We provide a comprehensive assessment to identify what is creating or worsening how you feel and identify the most effective, evidence-based treatment approach to help you get your life back.  We work together to address the beliefs and pressures bringing you down to help you feel fully seen and supported in your path forward.

One of the key ways Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) helps with depression is by quickly and efficiently rewiring the brain by targeting difficult life events or negative beliefs you have about yourself. Through a series of guided eye movements, tapping, or other types of bilateral stimulation, EMDR re-processes negative beliefs and life experiences providing relief and closure. Bilateral stimulation involves the engagement of both brain spheres, which research demonstrates as generally resulting in quicker relief and improvement of depression symptoms than traditional talk therapy options. Additionally, the process of EMDR involves identifying the positive ways you want to see yourself and exist in the spaces and relationships you inhabit, and then reinforces these positive beliefs and goals through your brain’s biological neural network.

Depression can lead to negative self-talk and feelings of worthlessness, making it challenging to feel confident in yourself  and your abilities. Research finds EMDR as significantly improving measures of self-esteem and confidence, which can be essential for individuals struggling with depression. We, at EMDR Center of Denver, will help you recover from stressful life events and negative beliefs holding you back on literally a biological level through the positive effects of bilateral stimulation on your brain’s neural network. We will help you identify and strengthen positive beliefs about yourself and goals you have for your future to more fully create the life you want.

Ketamine-assisted psychotherapy for treatment-resistant depression

We also offer Ketamine Assisted Psychotherapy (KAP) for folks experiencing treatment-resistant depression. Folks experience treatment-resistant depression if they have tried at least two different anti-depressant medications and therapy without experiencing full symptom relief. Check out this helpful overview from Dr. Andrew Huberman, Neurobiologist at Stanford School of Medicine, regarding the evidence supporting ketamine treatment for treatment-resistant depression.

Depression can be overwhelming. It can erode your sense of self and make death feel more appealing than life. EMDR can help identify who you want to more fully grow to be. It can assist you in more deeply growing into the person that you already are. We can help you reclaim the space you inhabit as your own.

At the EMDR Center of Denver, we believe that everyone deserves to live their best life, free from the debilitating effects of depression. We provide compassionate, individualized care to help individuals heal and thrive. If you or someone you know is experiencing depression, schedule your first session with us today, and see how we can help you get your life back.

Not all therapy is the same.

Invest in yourself through effective, evidence-based treatment that yields proven results.

Not sure if you are experiencing symptoms of depression?

This questionnaire can be used as a starting point to recognize the signs and symptoms of Depression but is not meant to replace consultation and evaluation with a trained mental health professional. An accurate diagnosis can only be made through a clinical evaluation. Regardless of the questionnaire results, if you have concerns regarding symptoms of Depression that you may be experiencing, please discuss these concerns with a mental health professional. We would be happy to assist with this process.

Supporting Research for EMDR Treatment and Depression:

• The Efficacy of EMDR in the Treatment of Depression | Springer Publishing 
• Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing Versus Treatment as Usual in the Treatment of Depression: A Randomized-Controlled Trial 
• The Effect of Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) on the severity of suicidal thoughts in patients with major depressive disorder: a randomized controlled trial 
• Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) therapy in the treatment of depression: a matched pairs study in an inpatient setting – Hase – 2015 
• EMDR for Depression: A Systematic Review of Controlled Studies 
• EMDR as a treatment for long‐term depression: A feasibility study – Wood – 2018 – Psychology and Psychotherapy: Theory, Research and Practice – Wiley Online Library