Format of Counseling

 

We at the EMDR and Counseling Center want to get you better as quickly as possible while ensuring you are safe when working through difficult experiences and emotions. Here is what you can expect from your sessions.

First session: The initial session will be primarily to identify your goals for counseling and how we can help you achieve them. It will also go over RAT and what to expect in the session more in-depth and answer any questions you have about it. If there is time, we will go over some techniques to deal with difficult emotions, as RAT can draw out extremely powerful emotional responses, and we want to be sure that you can handle them in a healthy way both in and out of session.

Second session: If we didn't have time to go over how to deal with strong, negative emotions in a healthy and adaptive way, then that will be the primary focus of this session. If it was covered in the first session, or once it's covered in this session, we will jump straight into RAT.

Subsequent sessions: What we work on in a session will be agreed upon in a collaborative process. Sessions will primarily focus on doing RAT to resolve emotional triggers, although there may be times when processing difficult emotions or teaching important therapeutic skills will be more appropriate.

Completion of counseling: Counseling will be complete once you have worked through any stressors or triggers that you'd like resolved and you are feeling happy and confident about yourself and your life. That isn't to say that everything will necessarily be perfect, but it will mean you feel confident and capable of handling anything residual. You should experience long-term relief from your symptoms and feel happy in your daily life before the completion of counseling and your individual healing journey.

 

 

Timeline for Counseling

 

The timeline for counseling can vary depending on the individual. Most clients are able to work through one or more treatment goals simultaneously in about three to six sessions. People who have experienced a lot of trauma generally take slightly longer than average. RAT does also tend to be slowest with the first targeted issue, with subsequent issues having the potential to be quicker. RAT is different for everyone, and I've seen clients fully process issues in under an hour, while others take around 6 sessions or more. Most clients average between 8-15 therapy sessions to complete counseling, although people with a history of severe trauma generally take a bit longer.

 

Something else to keep in mind is that things may get worse before they get better. It is uncommon, but not rare, for clients to temporarily worsen in their symptoms after the first session or two of RAT. This is most likely to occur with severe trauma or grief. The more a person has repressed their emotions or swept them under the rug, the more likely things will feel worse at first. Feeling worse doesn't mean that treatment isn't working, it actually means the opposite. For people in this category, shining a light on what they've kept in the dark is not a pleasurable experience, but it is necessary one for healing to be possible. Just like a broken bone doesn't get reset without pain, nor does ones mental health. Come into counseling trusting that it will get better, even if it isn't easy.

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Cost

 

I believe the healing is a human right and should be affordable to everyone. While a counseling session is typically $150 an hour, I am willing to work with you at a price that is affordable to you. 

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How to Prepare for RAT Treatment

 

Preparing for RAT primarily consists of emotionally committing to self healing. Healing doesn't come from pretending problems don't exist, but by facing your problems head on. As Carl Jung, the father of modern psychology stated, "One does not become enlightened by imagining figures of light, but by making the darkness conscious." In other words, healing requires facing the darkest parts of yourself and the most important way to prepare for RAT is to prepare to face the aspects of yourself you've been avoiding. ​

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That said, here are a couple more concrete steps you can take to prepare.

Before The First Session: Create a List of Treatment Goals

 

At the EMDR and Counseling Center, we understand you may have many questions when preparing for RAT treatment. Before starting your course of treatment success, it would be helpful to come equipped with a list of pain points or goals you would like to work on during the session. This will help ensure your time in the session is spent productively and you can get the most out of each visit. Treatment goals should include but are not limited to anything that is distressing to you or makes you feel overwhelmed, any negative talk or beliefs, or anything else you are unhappy with or would like to change in your life.

Allow Time for Emotional Processing After Sessions

 

It is also recommended to take some time after your sessions to reflect on how you feel and what was discussed during the session. Doing this will allow you to better process emotions after a session and may lead to further treatment gains. Some people may find it helpful to journal or write down their feelings to help with emotional processing.

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At the EMDR and Counseling Center, we are dedicated to helping our clients feel supported and empowered throughout their treatment journey by providing holistic care tailored to their needs. We look forward to working with you soon!