EMDR Therapy in Houston

Kristin Cogan, EMDR Therapist in Texas

Hi, I’m Kristin Cogan and I’m a Certified EMDR Therapist.

You may be feeling stuck in your past, not good enough, overwhelmed by the world you live in. I understand, and I’m here to help.

I will help you heal from your past, so you can live in the present, and look forward to the future.

If you are looking for an effective method of healing that won't require reliving the pain of the past, please don't hesitate to reach out! Sign up for a free phone consultation today, and let's talk about whether EMDR could be right for you!

What can EMDR help with?

  • Miscarriage

  • Anxiety

  • Birth trauma

  • Infidelity

  • Processing a messy divorce

  • Moving on from childhood trauma like emotional, physical or sexual abuse

  • Bullying

  • Work through the grief of losing a loved one

  • And so much more!

My Approach as an EMDR Therapist

Life can be full of difficult moments and experiences, including trauma, grief, or long-term anxieties. These obstacles may prohibit people from progressing in life while imprisoning them in the same struggles and pain - feeling as if it will never end. Acknowledging these issues is the first step toward freedom; however, this bravery often comes with a fear that change means discomfort or difficulty.

Despite its challenges, taking action against what's holding you back allows transformation and hope on your journey through life. With the right support and practical tools, you can break free from whatever is keeping you stuck – and thanks to Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) therapy, it doesn't have to be a painful process. That's why I offer EMDR in Houston as an effective method for healing trauma, resolving PTSD, and managing anxiety and grief.

The basic idea behind EMDR therapy is that traumatic experiences can cause "blocks" or "stuck points" in the brain's information processing. These blocks can prevent the brain from fully processing a traumatic event and can result in symptoms such as flashbacks, nightmares, and feelings of anxiety or depression.

Trauma is an emotional response to a highly stressful, distressing, or terrifying event, and in therapy, we refer to trauma as "big T" or "small t". Big "T" trauma typically involves major, physically-threatening events such as serious accidents or abuse, while examples of small "t" trauma include bullying or childhood emotional neglect.

Whether you are struggling with the aftermath of serious trauma or enduring the lasting effects of wounds experienced while growing up or even in adulthood, such as family abandonment or family conflict, when the body stores trauma, it can manifest in countless debilitating ways - from insomnia, flashbacks, and unexplained body aches to anxiety, depression, excessive anger, and other mood changes. In other words, no matter its type or source, trauma can seriously impact an individual and manifest in different ways.

EMDR therapy for trauma is designed to help you process traumatic memories in the brain so that they no longer hold power over your daily life, as these issues don't tend to resolve on their own. Our goal for EMDR therapy will be to help you heal without reliving the pain of your past. Together we will work on restoring balance in your life by processing these memories through bilateral stimulation (visual, auditory, or tactile stimuli) that help desensitize painful emotions associated with memories or past events keeping you stuck.

While EMDR therapy has great potential for helping people who suffer from PTSD and trauma, my approach to EMDR therapy is to use it wherever it is needed most. No matter what you are going through - or have been through - I will validate your feelings and experiences. In sessions with me as your therapist, I will use EMDR techniques to help you reprocess any underlying issues interfering with your happiness and preventing you from moving forward. Through this therapy, we can work together towards getting unstuck and finding more joy in life!

Are you ready to heal and get unstuck?

Contact me to see how EMDR can help you.

EMDR Therapy FAQs

  • EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) therapy is a type of psychotherapy that was originally developed to treat trauma-related disorders such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). It has since been used to treat various mental health issues, including anxiety, depression, and phobias. EMDR therapy helps individuals who have experienced trauma regain control by utilizing bilateral stimulation, such as eye movements, tapping, or sound, to help them process troubling memories and reduce their emotional charge.

  • EMDR helps your brain reprocess memories to the point where there is no longer an emotional charge or stress around them. During an EMDR therapy session, the therapist will ask the patient to focus on a traumatic memory while engaging in specific eye movements, sounds, or taps.

    Processing unresolved memories, issues, and emotions in this way stimulates the brain's natural healing mechanisms, allowing it to process them in a more adaptive way that alleviates psychological distress. In other words, it allows your brain to self-heal without reliving traumatic experiences, leading to new perspectives, clarity, and insight into your past and how it affects you now.

    Watch this video for an Introduction to EMDR Therapy

  • Believe it or not, it can be hard to realize when you've gone through something traumatic. Sometimes, people don't recognize the full impact of what has happened until some time has passed, which is normal.

    It's a great idea to make an appointment with a therapist to better understand the potential consequences of past events. A therapist is equipped to help you work through your experience in a supportive, non-judgmental environment so that you can gain greater insight into how trauma has impacted your life.

  • EMDR can be used either as a stand-alone treatment or blended with traditional talk therapy. But unlike regular talk therapy, where the counselor focuses on talking about traumatic events to uncover feelings and understand a person's history, EMDR is a tool designed to target unresolved traumatic memories and to help incorporate new positive emotions without having to hash out the details.

    When utilized correctly, EMDR helps bring profound insights that may not be accessible through regular talk therapy. Additionally, practitioners report seeing results from their clients much faster when using EMDR than with traditional methods alone.

Get help from a Certified EMDR Therapist

EMDR Therapy is one of the most significant steps you can take toward understanding yourself and your past to free yourself from the burdens continuing to affect you today. Contact me today for support, and let's take this first step together.