Sometimes you understand what happened, but your mind or body still reacts as though it isn't completely in the past. EMDR can help you work with distressing memories, triggers, and beliefs that still feel emotionally stuck.
EMDR stands for Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing. It is a structured form of psychotherapy used to help people process distressing experiences.
During parts of EMDR, you briefly bring a distressing memory, belief, emotion, or body sensation to mind while also engaging in alternating left-right stimulation. This may involve guided eye movements, tapping, or another form of bilateral stimulation.
The goal is not to erase what happened. The goal is for the experience to become less emotionally disruptive so that remembering it does not have the same power over your present life.
EMDR is best established as a treatment for PTSD and trauma-related distress. It may also be useful when current symptoms appear connected to an unresolved or distressing past experience.
Memories, nightmares, avoidance, hypervigilance, strong emotional reactions, or the feeling that part of you is still responding to something that happened in the past.
Explore Trauma & PTSD Counseling →Experiences that continue to feel unusually vivid, upsetting, shame-filled, frightening, or difficult to put behind you.
Moments when your emotional or physical response feels much bigger than the present situation, especially when the reaction seems connected to an earlier experience.
Some anxiety is reinforced by earlier experiences, fears, or beliefs. When that connection is present, EMDR may be one part of a broader treatment plan.
If you know the past is affecting you but you are not sure whether EMDR is what you need, start with Darrell's Trauma & PTSD Counseling page.
EMDR is structured and paced intentionally. Preparation is part of the treatment, not something you are expected to arrive already knowing how to do.
Darrell learns about your symptoms, history, concerns, and what you want to be different.
You learn what EMDR involves and develop grounding and regulation strategies before beginning memory processing.
When you are ready, a specific memory or target is paired with bilateral stimulation as you notice what comes up.
Darrell checks what has changed, addresses remaining distress, and helps strengthen more adaptive beliefs.
Usually, no. EMDR requires you to bring aspects of an experience to mind, but it generally does not require a detailed verbal retelling of everything that happened.
You also remain in control of the process. You can tell Darrell when something feels too intense, ask to slow down, or stop a set of bilateral stimulation at any time.
Effective trauma therapy does not require proving how much discomfort you can tolerate.
Darrell begins with a diagnostic evaluation so he can understand what is bringing you in, what you have experienced, how your symptoms are affecting you, and what you hope counseling will accomplish.
Part of Darrell's job is helping you slow things down, notice the important pieces, and make sense of what is happening.
If EMDR isn't the right fit, that does not mean counseling cannot help. Darrell can discuss other evidence-based approaches that better fit your goals and situation.
No single therapy is right for every person or every concern. The decision to use EMDR should make sense for your needs, goals, and readiness.
You can identify experiences, memories, triggers, or negative beliefs that continue to carry significant emotional weight in your present life.
You can schedule counseling without knowing whether you want EMDR. Darrell can help you understand the options and decide together what approach makes the most sense.
Darrell Ring Counseling accepts HealthChoice insurance and bills HealthChoice for covered counseling services. Your specific cost depends on your individual plan, so check your current benefits.
Clients with other insurance plans can ask their insurer whether they have out-of-network benefits and whether a superbill may be submitted.
Darrell offers a sliding-fee option for some qualifying uninsured or self-pay clients based on household income and household size. An application and review are required, and approval is not automatic.
Yes. EMDR is an evidence-based, trauma-focused psychotherapy with substantial research supporting its use for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
As with any therapy, treatment decisions should be based on your individual symptoms, goals, history, and clinical needs.
Usually not. You will need to think about aspects of the experience during processing, but EMDR generally does not require you to verbally recount every detail of what happened.
No. The first appointment is used to understand your concerns, symptoms, history, and goals. Darrell will also consider whether EMDR is an appropriate treatment option for you.
Preparation happens before trauma-memory processing begins.
Bilateral stimulation simply means alternating stimulation from one side to the other. In EMDR this may involve guided side-to-side eye movements, alternating taps, or sounds.
There is not one correct number of sessions for everyone. Treatment length can vary depending on what you are addressing, your history, how many experiences need attention, and how you respond to treatment.
Darrell can give you a better sense of the treatment plan after learning more about your individual situation.
PTSD is where EMDR has its strongest research support. Darrell may also consider EMDR when another concern appears closely connected to distressing or unresolved experiences.
Whether EMDR is appropriate is something you and Darrell can discuss as part of treatment planning.
You do not need to choose EMDR before beginning counseling. EMDR is one treatment approach, not the definition of trauma counseling.
If you want to start with the broader question of how past experiences are affecting you now, Darrell's Trauma & PTSD Counseling page may be a better place to begin.
Learn About Trauma & PTSD Counseling →Darrell provides counseling from his office in downtown Enid.
Appointments are scheduled through the secure client portal.
You don't need to decide on EMDR before scheduling. Start by telling Darrell what has been happening and what you would like to change. Together, you can decide what kind of counseling makes sense from there.
Secure scheduling through the client portal