Bethany Juran

When working with PTSD it's important to use EMDR as a theraputic approach to help the person process through and desensitize a client to the trauma and help them reprocess through "new" lenses.

OCD is a debilitating mental illness, and yet there is so much hope and healing through treatment. Client that are able to use ERP (exposure response prevention), to tackle the obsessional thinking that leads to compulsive acts. Over coming OCD is possible, and freedom is possible.

Self harm is in my opinion misunderstood. A client that is using self harm doesn't have the appropriate tools to manage distressing emotions. Clients that self harm are in an extreme amount of pain, and they take the pain out on themselves to feel better. Learning healthy and appropriate ways to tolerate, and work their way out of this addictive pattern of self abuse takes time, patience, and love.

When we have phobias, OCD, or anxiety we at times need to use exposure therapy to work through the illogical thoughts. By making a hierarchy and working with myself to create exposure therapy is the best approach to use.

We all have situations that we can't get out of in our lives - it might be your own emotions that are distressing, or a family member that's difficult to get along with. I love DBT because it works with this idea that we can't always think our way out of a situation or emotion, and then we must learn to tolerate and use skills to move with the situation instead of getting out.

EMDR is highly effective. Research shows that when comparing EMDR to talk therapy the findings are that 5 sessions of talk therapy is equal to 1 session of EMDR. EMDR is the brains natural healing process, and allows us to access the right part of the brain that is often where traumatic memories are stored. Trauma is stored in the body, and with EMDR we can work on lowing the impact these memories have and allow our bodies to heal.