Therapy for Trauma

EMDR Therapy for Trauma & Addiction in Fort Lauderdale

Reprocess Trauma & Reclaim Your Life

The Trauma You're Running From Is Keeping You Stuck

You didn’t start drinking or using drugs without some reason behind what you were doing. Maybe you were trying to forget something that happened, numbing a pain so deep that talk therapy couldn’t touch it, or because you’d had traumatic memories running through your mind and substances were the only way to get them to stop.

At Agape Treatment Center in Fort Lauderdale, we use EMDR therapy to help our clients process past trauma that drives their addictions—not by talking about it over and over, but by helping the brain reprocess the traumatic experiences and taking away their ability to continue to control you.

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What is EMDR Therapy?

Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) is an evidence-based psychotherapy that was created to treat post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and trauma-based conditions.[1] Unlike traditional talk therapy, this method of treatment utilizes bilateral stimulation, either through guided eye movements, taps, or sounds, to allow the brain to reprocess the traumatic memories that were created in a highly charged emotional state in a new way (without the strong emotion attached to them).

Recognized by the World Health Organization, American Psychiatric Association, and Department of Veterans Affairs as an effective trauma treatment, EMDR works differently from traditional therapy. You are not required to go into detail about the traumatic memory, nor are you required to do any homework between sessions. The therapy allows the brain to use its natural healing processes to help put the traumatic experiences through their proper channels instead of being “stuck” and continuing to create emotional distress.

Who is EMDR Therapy For?

This therapy is appropriate for people with a history of trauma, including those that have PTSD, childhood trauma, or trauma-driven addictions. It works especially well for those that find that talk therapy is difficult because they have a very hard time verbalizing their experience. However, an individual will need to show sufficient emotional stability to be able to process difficult material. Your clinician will assess your level of readiness; a lot of individuals in early recovery from severe substance use disorders will need to go through detoxification and stabilization before they begin working on trauma.

Sessions are conducted by licensed therapists trained through the EMDR International Association and last between 60-90 minutes and are held in a safe and supportive environment. At Agape Treatment Center, we incorporate EMDR into our overall treatment plans because unresolved trauma is often the root cause of a person’s substance abuse.

How (and Why) EMDR Therapy Works

Research has indicated that approximately 75% of people entering substance abuse programs have experienced significant trauma in their past.[2] When you experience a traumatic event, it often overwhelms the brain’s processing system. As a result, instead of the trauma being stored in recall, it will continue to exist as an “alive” entity in a person’s nervous system (complete with the emotions, physical sensations, and negative beliefs from the original event).

The Science Behind EMDR

EMDR allows the brain to finish processing the trauma that it could not at the time it originally occurred. The therapist will help you briefly focus on the details of the traumatic memory while completing bilateral stimulation (moving the eyes back and forth, listening to alternating audio, and using alternating taps). This will appear to activate the same processing mechanism the brain uses during the REM dream state.

Through the use of bilateral stimulation, the traumatic memory will begin to lose its emotional charge. Distressing memories that would have elicited panic and shame previously will now be viewed simply as memories of past events that will not control present-day behavior. While the factual part of the memories will not change, the brain will reorganize how it has been storing them.

EMDR and Addiction Recovery

For individuals struggling with substance use, addressing the underlying trauma that drives the addiction is critical to finding recovery from the addiction. Rather than using alcohol or drugs to avoid the memories of trauma, you will learn how to face, process, and move on from the traumatic experience through EMDR therapy. EMDR will remove the negative beliefs (“I am worthless” or “I am not safe”) from your subconscious mind that lead to self-destructive behaviors.

Research published in the Journal of EMDR Practice and Research indicates that incorporating EMDR into addiction treatment significantly reduces cravings and usage of substances.[3] EMDR achieves similar or superior results compared to exposure therapy (which uses longer periods of time to focus on the memory of the traumatic experience). In addition, the use of brief events while providing bilateral stimulation makes EMDR more tolerable than exposure therapy.

The 8 Phases of EMDR Therapy

EMDR therapy follows a structured eight-phase approach:
Phase 1: History Taking – Your therapist gathers your history and identifies traumatic experiences to target.
Phase 2: Preparation – You learn about EMDR and coping skills to manage emotional distress and potential side effects like temporary fatigue, headaches, or vivid dreams.
Phase 3: Assessment – You identify the specific memory to work on and the associated negative and positive beliefs.
Phase 4: Desensitization – You briefly focus on the memory while following your therapist’s hand movements or listening to alternating tones.
Phase 5: Installation – The positive belief is strengthened to replace the negative belief.
Phase 6: Body Scan – You check for remaining physical tension related to the memory.
Phase 7: Closure – Each session ends with techniques ensuring you feel stable before leaving.
Phase 8: Reevaluation – Your therapist assesses progress and determines next steps.

Not every session involves all eight phases. Physical side effects are generally mild and temporary—signs your brain is continuing to process between sessions.

Healing together

Efficacy of EMDR Therapy

Research consistently demonstrates EMDR’s effectiveness for trauma and related conditions:

Highly effective for Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)

EMDR has been found to help with PTSD by multiple studies showing reductions or resolution of symptoms for 77 to 90% of those with PTSD.[4] EMDR has been found to equal or exceed other therapies for trauma in success rates and as such, many of the world’s major healthcare organizations recognize EMDR as an evidence-based first-line treatment for PTSD.

Effective for treating addiction

EMDR has been shown to enhance the effects of standard addiction treatment by decreasing the amount of substances used, cravings for substances, and providing better emotional regulation.[5]

Effective for depression/emotional disorders

EMDR has been found to be effective in reducing symptoms of depression, with studies demonstrating significant reductions in symptoms. EMDR is also effective in treating anxiety disorders, anxiety disorder-related phobias, panic disorder, agitational depression, and obsessive-compulsive disorder.[6]

Faster results than traditional therapies

Many clients have experienced significant improvement after 6 to 12 sessions of EMDR.[7]

Benefits in treatment more than just trauma

While EMDR was originally developed as a treatment for PTSD, it has also been shown to be an effective tool in chronic pain management, insomnia, low self-esteem, and other issues.[8]

The evidence is clear: EMDR therapy is an evidence-based practice that produces measurable, lasting results for trauma, addiction, and co-occurring mental health conditions.

What to Expect from EMDR Therapy

If you are new to EMDR therapy, you may be asking yourself what bilateral stimulation will feel like and if you will be forced to relive traumatic memories in detail. The answer is that EMDR is designed to be less painful than standard trauma therapy but to be more successful in its effectiveness.

EMDR therapy uses a structured method of processing traumatic experiences without having the need to extensively describe the experience or to completely relive it. You will always remain in control of what you are feeling during the session, and the use of bilateral stimulation helps keep your awareness and presence in the present while you are processing a traumatic memory.

A typical EMDR session includes:

01

Check in session

Your EMDR therapist will ask how you are feeling and if you have anything that occurred in the previous session that requires additional attention.

02

Identify target

Together with your therapist, the two of you will determine what memory or aspect of your trauma will be worked on during that session.

03

Brief activation

You will discuss the trauma memory so that you can activate it (you won’t have to describe it in detail, and you will not have to remain focused on it).

04

Bilateral stimulation

You will follow your therapist’s hand with your eyes, or will stimulate the brain through alternating tapping or alternating sounds for approximately 20 to 40 seconds, then report briefly what you noticed.

05

Processing

The pattern will repeat over and over, with you briefly focusing on the memory, bilateral stimulation, and reporting what you notice, until your brain has naturally processed and integrated the experience.

06

Completion

You will be given grounding techniques at the end of the session so that you will feel stable and present.

Agape Wide Range of Treatment

EMDR Therapy at Agape Treatment Center

At Agape Treatment Center, we provide professional EMDR therapy as a fundamental part of our trauma-informed care approach. Our EMDR therapists are licensed, trained, and highly skilled at treating the co-occurrence of addiction and trauma.

Our Wilton Manors treatment facility right out of Fort Lauderdale, is a safe and supportive environment for clients to engage in their healing process. EMDR works with most health insurance plans and will provide a method for individuals to access treatment.

Our Approach to EMDR Therapy

At our facility, our EMDR program recognizes that trauma is usually the primary cause of addiction.[9] We provide comprehensive healing experiences by integrating EMDR with other evidence-based treatment modalities.

Our approach includes:

01

Trauma-informed assessment

We assess your trauma history and readiness for EMDR, allowing us to ensure that you have supporting coping skills and safety before commencing trauma processing.

02

Integration with addiction treatment

03

Individualized pacing

04

Comprehensive mental health treatment

05

Ongoing support

Healing Trauma

Healing Trauma, Ending Addiction

At Agape, it is our belief that you cannot successfully heal from addiction until you address the trauma that underlies it. EMDR therapy provides an evidence-based opportunity to reprocess traumatic experiences into less impactful memories, decreasing the frequency of that trauma driving your substance use. While you will still remember the traumatic event after therapy, its overall influence on you will be reduced, allowing you to recover from addiction while you create the kind of life and wellness that you deserve.

Create Your Way to Freedom

You’ve spent enough time keeping your pain locked inside. It’s time to express it, release it, and transform it into something beautiful.

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FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions about EMDR Therapy

Is EMDR evidence-based practice, or is it experimental?

Yes. EMDR has undergone three decades of research as an evidence-based practice proven to be effective in treating trauma. The World Health Organization (WHO), the American Psychiatric Association (APA), the United States Department of Veterans Affairs, and other international healthcare agencies recognize EMDR as an effective treatment for trauma.

What are the side effects of EMDR therapy?

The side effects of EMDR are generally minimal and temporary. Physical side effects of EMDR may include fatigue, headache, or vivid dream experiences over a 1-2 day period when your brain is processing after each EMDR therapy session. You may feel more activated for a period of time after each session emotionally, as you work through challenging material.

How does EMDR compare to regular talk therapy or CBT?

EMDR uses bilateral stimulation to help reprocess trauma memory from the brain more directly than using traditional talk therapy. As a result, you will not need to provide a detailed account of your traumatic experiences as would be required if you were using traditional talk therapy. EMDR accomplishes change at a deeper level of your brain and in how trauma memory is stored than does CBT, making the degree of distress experienced much lower than the traditional methods for treating trauma.

Can EMDR help with issues beyond trauma, like insomnia or chronic pain?

EMDR therapy has been found to be useful in treating insomnia and chronic pain resulting from trauma, anxiety, and racing thoughts, which are all capable of leading to sleep disorders or chronic pain. EMDR has also been found to be effective in treating phobic disorders, panic attacks, and performance anxiety

Does EMDR work for everyone, or are there people who shouldn't try it?

While the success rate of EMDR is quite high, there are some individuals who cannot participate primarily due to a lack of emotional stability or cannot tolerate working through difficult memory recall. In general, EMDR is appropriate for all who have a history of trauma, including those who are active substance users and have a history of PTSD or other single-incident traumatic events. However, you may need to stabilize before beginning EMDR if you are actively psychotic, experiencing severe dissociation, or in acute withdrawal. Your treatment team will evaluate your readiness to undergo EMDR and will collaborate with you to incorporate EMDR with other therapeutic modalities if necessary.

Sources

[1] Department of Veterans Affairs. (2023). Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) for PTSD. National Center for PTSD. https://www.ptsd.va.gov/professional/treat/txessentials/emdr_pro.asp

[2] Farrugia, P. L., Mills, K. L., Barrett, E., Back, S. E., Teesson, M., Baker, A., Sannibale, C., Hopwood, S., Rosenfeld, J., Merz, S., & Brady, K. T. (2011). Childhood trauma among individuals with co-morbid substance use and post traumatic stress disorder. Mental health and substance use : dual diagnosis, 4(4), 314–326. https://doi.org/10.1080/17523281.2011.598462

[3] [5] Hase, M., Schallmayer, S., & Sack, M. (2008). EMDR reprocessing of the addiction memory: Pretreatment, posttreatment, and 1-month follow-up. Journal of EMDR Practice and Research, 2(3), 170–179. https://doi.org/10.1891/1933-3196.2.3.170

[4] Marcus, S. V., Marquis, P., & Sakai, C. (1997). Controlled study of treatment of PTSD using EMDR in an HMO setting. Psychotherapy: Theory, Research, Practice, Training, 34(3), 307–315. https://doi.org/10.1037/h0087791

[6] Valiente-Gómez, A., Moreno-Alcázar, A., Treen, D., Cedrón, C., Colom, F., & Pérez, V. (2017). EMDR beyond PTSD: A systematic literature review. Frontiers in Psychology, 8, 1668. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2017.01668

[7] American Psychological Association. (2017). Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) therapy. Clinical Practice Guideline for the Treatment of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder. https://www.apa.org/ptsd-guideline/treatments/eye-movement-reprocessing

[8] Scelles, C., & Bulnes, L. C. (2021). EMDR as treatment option for conditions other than PTSD: A systematic review. Frontiers in Psychology, 12, 644369. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.644369

[9] Felitti, V. J., Anda, R. F., Nordenberg, D., Williamson, D. F., Spitz, A. M., Edwards, V., Koss, M. P., & Marks, J. S. (1998). Relationship of childhood abuse and household dysfunction to many of the leading causes of death in adults: The Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) Study. American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 14(4), 245–258. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0749-3797(98)00017-8

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