Don't Be Controlled By Anxiety and Fears

What EMDR is and how it works.

On June 21, 1994, Alice thought that her life was over. It was on this day, that she was raped while going to work. Alice felt that after this Tuesday, she would not be able to ever go to work, or be intimate with her husband again. About a year later Alice came to see me with her husband, convinced that she was doomed to always be in psychic pain. Because of a spot she saw on ABC's 20/20, she felt that as a last hope, she would give the treatment a try. After seeing me for a total of 10 sessions (6 of which were sessions in which EMDR was used), she was able to look for and get a new job, and for the first time since the incident, she was able to have sexual contact with her husband without intrusive thoughts of the rape.

You can overcome past hurt and pain to lead a better life.

Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) is a therapeutic process which will clear troubling emotions and negative thinking linked to trauma and other painful past experiences. Some people have said that EMDR helped them more in one session than other therapies had in years. During an EMDR session the patient combines the focusing on a memory and moving one's eyes while following the therapist's fingers or an object that is used to focus on. The patient will be aware of the feelings and thoughts connected to the memory while simultaneously making the rapid eye movements. As the processing starts, the target memory begins to change. It can become more complete, with an increase in the emotional content or intensity. Or the memory may fade. In other cases, just the feelings fade with no memory at all. Regardless of how EMDR proceeds, the unpleasant feelings and negative thinking fade and are replaced by more positive feeling and thinking.

When this is successfully completed the person will remember the event. Understand and know that it happened but will no longer be "haunted" by it or disturbed by the memory. This then changes the way we view other parts of our lives.

**EMDR Works**
As an investigative producer for network television, it was second nature to examine everything--the old and the new--with fervent skepticism. It's not surprising, then, that I screened a taped interview, shot for an ABC News, 20/20 segment investigating a little-known therapy treatment called EMDR, with a fair dose of cynicism. Little did I know, I would become an strong advocate of EMDR a decade later. It is nearly impossible to articulate the effectiveness of EMDR--administered by an experienced and capable therapist like Mr. Barry herbach--without sounding corny. The efficacy, and speed with which EMDR works, are quite incredulous, making it difficult to explain unexperiencially. And having been to a number of reputable NY therapists before going through EMDR with Mr. Barry Herbach, the difference is this: Therapy prior to EMDR was an effective means to manage or deal with issues--an effort to keep pain, dysfunction, unhealthy patterns, at bay. EMDR with Mr. Barry Herbach removes the pain--the pain is simply gone, and with it, the dysfunction and unhealthy patterns. J.M. Arango Barry first suggested EMDR explaining that it could help me break my blocks fast. Initially, I was skeptical of such sudden change. However, immediately after my first EMDR session I began to feel tremendous positive change and a genuine boost in my self esteem. As a result I was able to trust my feelings and make better decisions by listening to my gut. EMDR is painless and effective. I recommend it to anyone who is interested in making real progress quickly. Celine Ruben-Salama Barry is a knowledgeable professional who has great insight into people and their issues. He has a no nonsense approach however his relaxed and easy going nature elicits a comfort level with clients immediately. His expertise in EMDR and one on one therapy leads to positive and lasting results in a short period of time. I believe that Barry's expertise and personality creates a therapeutic environment that is conducive to healing. Dan Merriman

How can EMDR Help Me?

The studies to date show a high degree of effectiveness with the following conditions:

Fears
Depression related to trauma
Surviving childhood abuse
Performance and test anxiety
Sexual abuse and/or physical abuse
Anxiety or panic attacks
Surviving an assault or robbery
Surviving a rape
Witnessing violence
Loss or injury of a loved one
Childhood trauma
Rage attacks
Surviving an accident
Overwhelming fears
Low self-esteem

Experts Speak Out:

"This has all the indications of being a major new resource in behavior therapy." Joseph Wolpe, MD., Originator of Systematic Desensitization

"The first seven years of experience with EMDR has shown that it can be a very effective treatment model of PTSD." Bessel A. van der Kolk, Phd

"EMDR is by far the most effective and efficient treatment we have ever used with dissociative episodes, intrusive memories, and nightmares with Vietnam combat veterans." Howard Lipke, Ph.D., Former Director, Stress Disorder Treatment Unit, North Chicago Veterans Administration Medical Center..

"EMDR is a powerful tool for the treatment of traumatic stress reactions including PTSD. It has been utilized with remarkable effects in both the acute and prolonged versions of traumatic stress." Jeffrey Mitchell, Ph.D., President, International Critical Incident Stress Foundation, Ellicot City, Maryland, USA.

Barry Herbach, LCSW

Level II EMDR Clinician with over 12 years experience using the process

212-229-7451

nyemdr@yahoo.com

Insurance Reimbursable

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