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Welcome to Better Together. with me Maria Menounos Welcome back. Happy Monday everybody. Happy Monday. Thank you. I Minnesota sitting here alone. I just making sure people are around. Well, I'm sitting here thinking is I'm doing all my crazy dancing in the intro. I hope you're cutting away to Stephanie's crazy dancing. So it's not just me like doing all this stuff student. Oh, they don't see her crazy dancing. Should I start letting them see you? Yes, that's why we have 18 cameras in here. Yes. I want my crazy dancing on display with your crazy dancing. So I'm not the only crazy dancer. I can start giving them here in here. Crazy dancing if you would like they don't know how we raise the roof. They've never seen it before. Well, we got to get amped before the show. There you go. Now you can make it happen. I can I don't know if you really want them see, I think they need to see all of our hands in the air. This is like a rush of Monday energy. That will be coming out them full blast. Yes, right. Yes, absolutely because everybody is in Monday Monday. And a because when Maria says happy Monday everybody silence. Yeah, exactly Monday Monday or they're thinking it's just another manic Monday. Oh, yeah, which tones so well and time periods. We need like a rapper to come up with a Monday so long so we can get to lick the new generation. Kanye has got to be like Monday - yay - yay. You know pitch it why should our quote of the day? It doesn't matter how slowly you go, as long as you don't stop and that's by Confucius. That is a great quote. It's similar to like, mr. Bob Backlund famous Champion wrestler. He always says you never lose unless you quit and that's one of my favorite favorite quotes. I love that. You never lose unless you quit but he says it. Like that's kind of Our Lives unless you're quiet and that's perfect. Yeah, it's so true. It really is true. Welcome back to the show guys. Thanks for being here with us. Thanks for supporting us and and being on this journey with us as we all get better together today. We have an amazing show lined up for you. We have practicing psychotherapist Tammy veles NT who's an expert in trauma and addiction recovery. She works with It's nationally and internationally and has renowned success using EMDR to treat anxiety and Trauma and panic. She's got over 20 years of experience. She actually practices in my home state of Massachusetts. Yeah in the Berkshires and she has helped create life changing results for survivors of rape and sexual assault and and so much I mean the statistics on this. This was insane that I was reading. It was like a massive amount of people. You probably have the statistics in front of you. But the people that were healed from PTSD from these traumatic events in just a few sessions and I've heard about this in Allah a lot, you know, because La were always at the Forefront of everything and you know, it's like how everyone's doing EMDR whatever but I understand it now I didn't get it before and that's why I'm so glad that we're bringing this to everyone. I'm bringing it to us to it. Like you were blown away by it and you're like, I know so many people that need this. I'm sitting there like I know so many people that could benefit from this as well sense. It. Tammy will get more into it, but I it makes complete sense that your mind could heal in a similar fashion that your body can and just heading it that way with the approach but to your point about the studies that have proven it. There's been more than 30 positive controlled outcome studies that have been done on EMDR therapy some of the studies show that 84 to 90 percent of single trauma victims no longer have post-traumatic stress disorder after only three 90-minute sessions. These are 30 different studies that have proven this crazy and the other one. It was like six sessions yielded amazing results for multi traumas, I believe yes. Oh, yes. It was 77% of multiple trauma victims. No longer were diagnosed with PTSD after only six 50 minute sessions. Yeah, so you think of like even returning soldiers? Yeah, I've been in you know, one of those God awful situations doing EMDR could be completely game-changing for them. And I wonder if they're using it as much as you know, it should be it should be it would be really good. So 77% of combat veterans were free of PTSD and 12 sessions see and that should if that's if that's a the statistics. It should be used all the time because the suicide rate is insane. Yeah, think of by the way think of. 12 sessions is what it takes to heal a returning soldier from an incident because they're on complete fight or flight all day all night in a war zone and and and just the level of other people with horribly traumatic events in their lives have been healed in three imagine to have to have 12 what they go through what's really crazy to is that like a lot of a lot of returning soldiers don't realize they have PTSD. I have a friend who was who is in the military for for six years and he came back home. He wasn't he didn't feel like he had PTSD. He didn't feel like he was having like episodes or anything like that where he couldn't handle like loud noises or anything, but after like two years back home, he like started realizing that he was getting angry at things. He never used to get angry for he was getting frustrated by things. He never used to get frustrated for and he went to a therapist and Like a subconscious thing that a lot of people don't even realize so I think it would be very interesting for the u.s. Government to you know, explore an actual like rehoming process where it's like, okay, you've instead of just shipping home. It's like, all right, you've shipped home, but now here is a process of different. Yeah. This is your entry part of your entry package your re-entry package. You have to do some EMDR just to be safe because the the suicide rate in the military is really depressing Lehigh. Yeah, it's really sad. Yeah. I think this is a really interesting solution for us to really dive into and see and see more about because I like I said, I've heard about it. I've I remember hearing someone I knows wife was doing it. I don't know if I could mention names so I won't but you know, you just I didn't have much exposure to it. And when I was doing the research for this segment, I was blown away. I was like, oh my Goodness, how did I not know about this? But that's why I love the show so we know and when you know better you get better to people they finally awake with me. I can't wait for this trip. I can't wait for this episode. Yeah to hear it because they're so like you said there were so many people. I'm already like I gotta send it to them them them because I need them. It's like a nice way to be like opening up their brain to a new form of therapy that they might have not thought of Yeah, it's funny. So my friend Judy who I've told you about who's been kind of like becoming my surrogate spiritual guide. I dumped her spiritual guide last night. She's like, oh my God, that's the name that came into my head just earlier today or something like that. I was like, yeah. I know you're like a spiritual guide. You're not that's what you are. Anyway, she was saying that as I feel myself and as I kind of heal myself, I heal the collective. So if you think about it while we're getting to do on this show is as we're filling ourselves. We're filling the collective. So when you're excited to now go pass this on to so many different people think of the amount of people were able to touch and if you are listening right now, which I know you are ye we're all surrogates to this. So you have your mini responsibility not to burden you in any kind of way, but we're all getting this information to help ourselves and then help others. So that's why I always I'd say if something has touched you or moved you share it with someone else, you know, if it's an episode you think would be beneficial to someone in your life share it with them because the more people that know better will get better and now you're a part of their health journey and there, you know spiritual journey or whatever it is their journey to get better. So, you know, we're a we're a small tight Army of getting better errs. And so let's let's keep let's keep recruiting people that that, you know want to be a part of this journey and and help them along the way so it's a pretty cool pretty cool thing. I think so awesome. Yeah, and we have a lot of amazing shows coming up. So hopefully we'll be able to help you guys get through the holidays because for some people some people holidays are not fun times. I know that from firsthand experience and so they are upon us and and then there's of course the stress for the other people who do enjoy them and so, you know, every Monday will be here for you guys. So without further Ado we are going to get to our interview with psychotherapist and EMDR expert Tammy velocity. Hey, everyone its staff. If you're listening to this podcast, you've probably thought once or twice. Hey, I think I want to make a podcast to and I have great news for you guys. I want to Tell you about anchor it's the easiest way to make a podcast for a few reasons first and foremost. It's free. They have a bunch of tools that allow you to record and edit your podcast right from your phone or your computer. They distribute your podcast for you. So it can be heard on Spotify Apple podcast and so much more you can make money from your podcast with no minimum listenership. It's everything you need to make a podcast in one place. So download the free anchor app or go to incurred on FM to get started. Well, thank you for joining us via Skype. And we're so excited to learn more about EMDR and in my quick research. I was just blown away at the statistics because I hear about it here in Los Angeles, and I know Los Angeles is usually kind of the Forefront of some of these different modalities. You always hear people hear kind of first and then it starts to spread out but I didn't realize how successful it is and helping people pass through trauma. So tell us about your work. Work and how you got into this. So I've been an EMDR clinician for I don't know probably close to 20 years. When I think we'd have to go back to need them when I was a little girl when I decided I really felt called to this at a very young age. I wanted to be a child psychologist and Flash Forward 20, some odd years shiny new graduate degree. I really wanted to help women and I found myself working. Young at and running a couple of rape trauma programs and it was there that I had this dear friends and supervisor who said, you know, really want you to take this training engr had no idea what it was. It was probably five to seven years new then there were really no empirical studies if there were they were maybe a handful so I ended up in a room and a conference room in a hotel in New York City with 300 colleagues being trained in the MDR not really understanding what it was but Sitting in a room every day with rape and incest survivors and knowing the struggle and then bringing it back to them and seeing the difference. All of that was really really amazing. So to be able to go from not having EMDR and using traditional therapy CBT behavioral even some yoga times different body modalities. Nothing works like EMDR. They were times in one two three sessions. Symptoms of PTSD were gone people were functioning again. Wow, so that that was really anecdotal. You know, what are we seeing in our offices? So what do you think called you at? Such a young age? Did you go through a trauma? Mmm, no, I can't say I went through any specific trauma but I oh I've been saying for the last many years trauma was my first love I can't explain it. Wow. Mmm, it's just meant to be sometimes Universe provides. Yeah, for sure. So explain to people what EMDR is so EMDR is a type of therapy. It stands for eye movement desensitization and reprocessing. And that sounds like a bunch of garbage Lee gook. I know but it's a really holistic therapy that combines your thoughts and memories your emotions the sensations in your body and the negative belief about yourself that combined with a bilateral stimulation back when EMDR was first discovered by Francine Shapiro. She discovered that when she moved her eyes back and forth that the material that she was thinking about became less disturbing. Later on. It's now. We know it's any bilateral stimulation. So tapping back and forth sounds in your tones in your ears back and forth vibrations back and forth in your hands or eye movements back and forth all spouse do. Well, it's interesting. We don't know a lot about the brain to know exactly what it does. But we do know that when we're in REM sleep. We also moving her eyes back and forth. It really heightens processing and it helps ground the material. So that's why they call it REM rapid eye movement right there are and that's when we're dreaming and processing material and storing it away, huh? So when you think about trauma it's traumas not stored like typical memory often times. It's not stored at all. It's why people say, you know L ask you experience something traumatic. Yes, and I am experiencing it every day Susie just kind of floating on top of everything exactly. That's perfect way to say it exactly and then by and then be MDR therapy by connecting it to emotions Sensations, Your body negative beliefs it helps to ground and store that information. Wow. Mmm-hmm. So what is a typical session like like a first session with someone hmm. First session is like any other first therapy session really history taking a lot of people will ask, you know, so what are the issues? What's the presenting problem? I'm actually not interested in the presenting problem at all. I know that sounds a little strange, but I want my My eye on the prize. I want to manifest the our goals and start doing that as soon as possible. So my first question or do the most important question the first session is how do we know when we're done with our work here what's different what feels different what's different about what you're experiencing and the world in your body. So in the first session, yes history goals some education about EMDR. And then second session. We may be talking about resource installation. We may do a safe place exercise which helps you get used to the EMDR process. So we would Target a safe place with all the positive emotions and positive Sensations in your body and it would look like a typical EMDR session with the bilateral stimulation and with the processing but with a focus on the positive and once the person is is is resource that may take a few sessions or may just be one session depending on the individual then we get into the processing of more difficult material really what you came there for. Are you using different versions of the bilateral movement for different people or is it are you just using the eye movement? Are you using tapping on sides or ear? Sounds good question that really depends on the right. It depends on the person's comfort. So there is a device that looks like a Walkman. Has headphones and then buzzers and your hands some people choose just to listen to the buzzing back and forth. Some people choose to just hold the buzzers. I work some with some other people I work with people internationally and nationally so they may order that device or a lot of times. They may just do the tapping back and forth. They find that just as effective. I'm literally just tapping your own shoulders. Basically. Yes as you're thinking about the trauma Yes, well that if that's I think a little I think a little over simplified but yes, so you think about the question I'd ask you around a specific trauma is if that trauma was a movie what frame of that movie represents the most disturbing part. So as you think about that, then you tap back and forth and you do that for maybe 20 seconds to a minute minute and a half depending on how long you want to process and then you come out and then you report back to me what came up. I really got a hot flash. - I'm really enraged or have XY & Z memory and then we're going to intervene just a little bit. Mostly without you biting your brain. Do it needs to be go back in noticing the braid you feel in the hot the heat in your body and then see where that goes and it goes back and forth like that. Wow. Yeah, I'm not trying to minimize the the process. I'm just trying to show kind of all of us how How simple it can be in a sense? Yes to move through something. That's so traumatic because it feels like it's something that could be unhealable like you can't get past it and or whatever it is. So my next thing is is who is this most ideal for hmm great question. So I'd say most people it works for I we were talking a little bit about trauma, but it works for a whole host of other things. So, Say for example, you reached out and said well, I've been dealing with these real negative feelings about my mother whenever I'm on the phone with her. I just can't stand her. She comes to visit a can't wait till she leaves. Okay, EMDR, we really helpful in that case as well. So we might Target an incident that you've had in the last couple of years where you with your mom you had a phone call and you got all these feelings and Sensations. So we just follow that through the session and don't you know, it goes back to when you were a child. And let's say and maybe you were a latchkey kid and you felt alone and not seeing and we process a lot of that and and that will have the impact in the in the car in your car and relationship. Wow. So right right. So even in relational therapy, you know, all of that may be stored as history may be playing out in your current relationship. You don't know where it's coming from, but it's really little Maria that's reacting. Yeah. I'm Yeah, totally will because I'm trying to figure out I mean, I know that for my research, you know rape victims sexual assault returning Soldiers with PTSD, but you know, there are so many of us everyone's in pain. Everyone has some level of suffering whether it's your mom was diagnosed with brain cancer. That's a trauma right? Absolutely or whether you've lived in fear because you felt unsafe as a child and that has built up and you know, I'm seeing it so clearly now literally like a covering because it it Shades everything you do in your life. It does it does I worked with so many years ago who used to say my trauma affects the way I brush my teeth. Oh my god. Wow, right because it's not in the past. It's not in the past. Yeah, I worked with someone who who helped me get through a little of it where he Ed he's like what you have to understand is you're not not safe now. It's like the double negative. He's like little Maria wasn't safe, but that's not who you are anymore and it did connect but I'm still I mean if someone Taps my shoulder I jumped to the Moon I still have such reflexive like fear and just you know, I'm always I'm always like on edge and nervous and And yeah fearful that something happening or going to happen. Yes. Yes, and I think what your experience is what most people experience it which is I understand it. It makes sense to me and I'm still reactive. I'm still having difficulty sleeping or still jump if you touch me from behind, yeah all of that because because it's literally, you know, it's literally stored in your body on a cellular level. Yeah, and and when you when you process it in a holistic way using your body and there's other ways Do it as well. You know PE will take care of it. But there's a lot of homework. It's PE NGO its exposure exposure. Mmm drawing a blank that something exposure. Another trauma therapy. Okay, and but there's a lot of there's a lot of homework and there's good going. I think you might even have to record yourself talking about the traumatic event from start to finish. And people are less likely to finish the treatment because of the outside work. Yeah, I really think it takes more sessions. I wonder why I'm sure it's some point you started with the event and now you've shifted to what result you want with your patient, right and focusing on that. Like if it was me you would say, you know, what's your result that? You know, what are we working towards and I would say I don't want to be scared every day. And so what was your thinking on that? And is that Happened. Did you shift from the event to that or were you always on the result? I think from the beginning what's interesting is you'll see so-so. Let's take a traumatic event. For example, say the target is I was you were you were almost abducted say an identity theft option. Is that happened a couple times? Oh, geez. Yeah. Oh that sounds terrific. So the focus is the worst part of that event. And the negative belief about yourself. Let's say the negative belief is I'm not safe anywhere or I'm not good enough or I'm not worthy something along those lines. We also want to look at the positive. What do you want to believe about yourself? When you look at that offense that I'm strong enough to survive it and and yeah and get out of it if something was to happen. Yes, so we process the negative going in around the worst part of that event and Then after one two, three sessions six tops, it wouldn't take too long. You'll get to the place where the event feels distant you don't see it as well. You're not feeling it and that negative belief is turned into that positive and which case we would install the positive. So we bring up that event again, which you can't bring up fully anymore. And then we install the I am safe. I'm okay. Wow, I got out of that. And I just had a little mini breakthrough, which is so funny. One of the times this happened was my parents. We were all in the mall and my parents went into I think it was like a Marshals and I really wanted to go to the pet store because I just loved animals. So they actually let me and my brother stay at the pet store and this guy came and he grabbed me by the arm and started to pull me and my brother screamed and I think that's probably why I'm terrified to be alone. Now, I don't like going anywhere alone. I didn't realize why. But it was the only time I was away from my parents and that happened and the other time it happened. I was alone as well walking down a street and it's so crazy. You have effectively learn to not be alone because they are things. Yeah. Yeah. Now I have a German Shepherd. So I feel safe when I'm alone. I'm so happy. I just discovered that the summer dami. I was home alone. My husband was away and I was like, wow, this is a great. Feeling to just be completely in silence and do whatever I want because I had someone's to keep me safe my dog literally will eat anyone that comes near me and so that's so funny. Well, but I love that you found a way. Anyway, yeah. Well God sent to die. Yeah, he was sent to me. So what do you typically tell your clients in terms of how many sessions it will take for each kind of very trauma does it? Change act, you know off the bat how long you think it'll take I could know off the bat depending a little bit about their history. If they have a history of complex trauma childhood trauma and additional trauma adulthood. That was that will take a lot longer. Although I will tell you. Yes, it will take longer but you'll have relief within one to three sessions to fully process. Yes. It'll take a little longer. But if you have a one-off drama a dog bite if You were in a plane crash and survived but no history of other trauma. Meaning, you know, Big T trauma, then you want one two, three and done well and does it last forever? It does. Wow. Yes. Yes, there's no undoing of the of the progress and the lack of symptoms. Yeah and explain to people a little bit about the research behind this because we started giving a few statistics earlier. Or that there were over 30 studies that showed how impressive EMDR is but I'm sure you have even better statistics than us. Mmm. I think there's probably hundreds of studies out there. I mean a few that really stand out for me are I think more recently there was a study done that compared a placebo an SSRI like a Prozac and EMDR and initially SSRI and EMDR were both Active but once the person came off of the ssris the symptoms returned EMDR was effective beyond that. Well, there's also studies that that back EMDR using for people with Phantom limb pain generalized anxiety performance enhancement those sorts of things. Yeah and our doctors using this more is is the westernmost. Medicine world coming this way, or is it still just kind of isolated and its own? I'm small. I'm seeing it more and more now. I am friends with a lot of doctors in the area and nationally and I am getting a few referrals from them. I think I don't want to bash the Healthcare System. Of course, I think that I get it. I think that the I think the first I think that the first line of defense to Piccoli is medication and when people show up my office, I want to use everything else in our toolbox before we get to that place. Yeah, and sometimes medication is really effective as a conjoint therapy. And then at some point you won't need it anymore for the most part but a to avoid that so I think it's happening more and more but not nearly what we needed to be. Yeah, how long is this session? Typically, well, it's funny. I think most EMDR therapists are doing 90 minutes. I'm a 60-minute go. I feel like that's usually plenty if in is in a difficult spot toward the end of the session. I'm a gay. I'm a go over I think 60 60 Minutes is really been sufficient sometimes an hour and a half to be particularly stressful. Yeah, just to stay in that least for the first session of a Target. I also wonder is there a certain person that is more susceptible to this? Like if if you have someone who really believes this can help them. Isn't it you know does the person's personality play into the result that all in this our can you have someone who's completely, you know questioning it and and maybe perhaps even negative just forced to try it by their wife or something. Are you seeing results with you know all kinds of personalities I am and I love that question because you know whenever someone walks into the office and says they're skeptical I do a little dance so that you know, that's great. No, it's good to be a little skeptical. You know, you always want to question you. Things and nervous and excited and hopeful but I think the skeptic is definitely my favorite and then I like to hear you know, after session 2 or 3. Well, you know, this is happening and I'm feeling a lot better and you know sleeping really well, but you know, it might not be the EMDR it could be this. Okay, that's fine. Let's wait and see. Yeah, that's so funny our resident skeptic Steven Lim you in the booth. I was thinking about it. I'm like if he and I walked into your office's like I'm super open. But I have my skeptical side because I'm a reporter. So I'm always digging and always looking. I'm not like a total like dive in kind of person but you know, I have a healthy level of skepticism. I think skepticism is great though, because like if you're questioning things then you're becoming more educated on the select before you dive in and I actually really like this I think psychology is so interesting because there is a valid connection between the mind and body and I'm more skeptical skeptical. Tickle of spiritual like metaphysical things, but when it comes to this like it is amazing how different techniques can completely change and rewire your brain to to deal with trauma and be able to function Every Day Life and I've seen people who have gone through different processes who could not be out in public they couldn't be in crowds. They couldn't go to a firework show for Fourth of July and after you know, they took years of different treatments. I don't think they tried EMDR but It was really amazing. Seeing how the different techniques let them be in public and let them experience Fourth of July and fireworks. Yes like that. You know, I think I think it's great. I wonder I wonder that actually just sparked another thought in me. I know that it works for people with anxiety. So I'm assuming just straight depression as well. Right? I think it's I think straight depression as it's hard for me to see anything through the not to the lens of trauma. Yeah, right. So you when I said if someone's coming in I have difficult relationship with mother my mother this is reaction. I'm seeing it through the lens of trauma someone you say straight depression. I'm also looking at that through the lens of trauma. I see a lot of the of the DSM, you know, the diagnostic statistical manual as a result in all those diagnoses as a result of are normal reactions to trauma. Yeah. I also wonder if you could explain there was something we were reading stuff. I remember you were telling me about This morning again is when the body is hurt. Right like the body is going to send healing signals and cells to that area and that the brain is no different. Can you explain that concept Stefano from the EMDR website that gives kind of like information on what it is. It says EMDR therapy shows that the mind can in fact heal from psychological trauma much as the body. He recovers from physical trauma when you cut your hand Your Body Works to close the wound. If a foreign object or repeated injury irritates the wound it festers and causes pain and it relates this back to how the mind works with trauma and that's kind of the basis of some of the EMDR Therapies. Yeah that the brain is basically healable as well. It's like it's an organ right? Yes, so why can't it be healable and and it is rather than just suppressed. I don't feel let me give you a pill don't feel which I know that there's a time and place. I have a friend who's in a situation right now, and I mean, it's critical and so I'm like we might need to do something just to keep you safe for a little while while we Up with the plan and it was so funny that this is what I was just exposed to in the last couple of days because thank God Gabby Bernstein told us about you and this is probably exactly what he needs because this is a person who dealt with a bipolar mother watched her try to kill herself watched his sister tried to kill herself and he's in a lot of deep pain right now and it hit me. I'm like wait mental illness is in his family. He Whether he has something or not, there's there's an illness there or and there's a trauma there that needs fixing and MDR would probably be perfect for him to study show around this. But but if you're processing trauma and healing in that way, your cortisol levels are going down and I do have people if they choose to homework outside of outside of sessions in addition to Safe Place exercises use other Music which is bilateral music, you know back and forth to really take your cortisol levels down. So you're living at a at a lower state of of anxiety. Wow. So is there something a resource on YouTube where if someone can't get to a Tammy and the Berkshires right now doesn't have any MDR person near them and they live in I don't know, Wisconsin and there's no one doing EMDR. Is there a resource they can use that can be at least somewhat helpful. Mmm. That's a great question. You know, I wouldn't recommend that anyone process trauma on their own a lot of times the trauma happened. It is a single event or on their own. And so that's that's a piece of what creates trauma that helplessness and the terror together. So I don't wouldn't want them to do anything that would re stimulate that but I don't think there's any harm in going to a safe place and bringing up those Sensations in your body and those emotions using bilateral music. Got it. Are you do you do FaceTime sessions? I do. Away, oh so that's a really great resource. Yes. That's how I see people in England and la oh, well, there you go that is really helpful actually because it covered by Insurance EMDR. So I think most insurance companies do to accept it. Now. Wow. Hmm. Yeah. I think that's new in the last few years. There are ways around it before then. Yeah, the people that get the treatment that they needed but but I it is covered by most insurance companies. Oh, that's really great. I mean it took forever for acupuncture to be covered. I can't imagine that EMDR already got their like we're just getting the EMDR here in the studio. Like it's already covered by Insurance. Hell, yeah. I wonder what is a session cost in general for EMDR. I think it varies I think you know, it was just covered by insurance if the therapist takes Insurance great. It's just your copay. There are as an organization. EMDR hap that trains therapists in the country may be outside the country around disasters and in remote areas that don't have EMDR therapists. And I think that the could providing that in the community level. I think it just varies from Market to Market. It can be anywhere from $30 to session to probably 500 dollars a session. Wow. Good to know are there any misconceptions? about EMDR the were not aware of I think a lot of people believe that it is having to re-experience the trauma and when done well, you don't have to necessarily re-experience the trauma a lot of times you can you can you can see it from a distance or if you're just working with the body and the emotions you can move through it that way but it's not a it's not a therapy Where You Are Sort of orally going through exactly what happened. You don't have to know what happened in order to process it. You will say. No, I don't remember exactly I said, you know that the memories and the thoughts in your mind that doesn't matter. Let's put that aside tell me what your body is telling you something tell me what you're feeling in your body and emotions that go with it. That'll be our little window. That's where we can take a peek and that'll let us in you do a lot of work with people in. In their critical kind of moments. How do you protect yourself? That's a great question. Sometimes I take it home. I'm not going to lie. And sometimes there's a lot of things that I hear that are really difficult. I'll re here when I want to go to sleep or I'll pop in my mind when I'm driving down the road but most of the time most of the time it doesn't I'm I'm a triathlete I run it off the ocean and the woods are my church. Health's I have good friends I take good care of myself and I do my own work as well. I think that ultimately though it's the results in the connections of the people that I'm working with that allow me to not take it home. We're healing together, you know, and and in the end that's moving and inspiring and I'll take that home with me. I love God guys. Do you have any questions before? For we wrap up these stories are so inspirational like different people who have experienced trauma and different different moments. Is there anyone that you were like very skeptical of whether or not this therapy could help them but like through doing it you were just amazed by the treatment. Hmm. Absolutely, there's definitely there's definitely been folks that I've worked with and I thought okay, how are we going to move this together? There's so much at first, it feels like sort of trudging through the weeds and then and then bit by bit session by session. You can feel the lightness and see the changes. So yeah, I get I get your question and absolutely they've been times when Not skeptical, but it's more could be more difficult than most or the trauma isn't nudging quite in the way that I expected it to. But I've yet to come across anyone that it hasn't. That it hasn't really effectively change their lives. Wow. So would you say that EMDR cures PTSD? I think I just hold my breath when you said if if you anyone in holistic were in the holistic World get scared with that because they come guns blazing for you. Maybe I shouldn't be asking that kind of question. No. It's great. It's challenging. I think if if by cure you mean that your PTSD symptoms are no longer there that you don't qualify for the diagnosis. Absolutely. Yeah good because it doesn't return could you be re-traumatized? Yes and triggers your moral rights. Can you be reached triggered? No, you won't because you're past it exactly as you it's you know, what it feels like. Okay, so I have a computer genius that we have on our show from time to time. His name is Ajay. And he taught me. He's like Maria your computer can never truly be wiped. I'm like, yeah, but I hit the white button on the Mac and it's supposedly wiped and it starts fresh. She goes. No, the only way to wipe your computer is to reprogram over it. You have to recode over whatever you did and that's the only way to get rid of it. So to me that seems like the brain the only way to get rid of the trauma is to reprogram over it. So that's what you're doing your cramming the positive space over that so you can't be triggered. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes, exactly ding ding ding. Wow. I just got the chills all the way down my body. Yes, you did it perfectly. Absolutely. You got it. You'll remember though you'll get that what used to be a trigger and say, oh, I remember that would happen and then I would feel this way. But where's that old friend of mine? I'm not feeling that way. Yeah. Oh my God, I Wait to do this. I'm going to call you the second we hang up on Skype. I'm going to call you. I'm going to schedule appointment for me for everyone in my life. You're going to be busy for the rest of your life. Just taking care of everyone. I know stuff. Do you have a question before we let Tammy go? No, I just want to thank you for bringing this information. There are so many women that I know are suffering through trauma from sexual abuse at this will really help in a way. I didn't think they could get the help. Yeah. So cool. We always ask at the end how you are getting better every day in your own life. And you painting I think I touched on that a little bit with I'm always competing against myself when it comes to running time swimming times Viking times Triathlon times that sort of thing spent a lot of time in the woods that live in the woods here in the Berkshires and a lot of time in the water. I travel a lot. I do my own work and I have done my own EMDR and the past it's the only thing I find effective for myself and I say yes when the universe shows up and asks me to do things and stretch and I'll say yes, I like that when the universe asks me to stretch God. That is so good. I love that. Wow, Timmy. Thank you so much for sharing. In your knowledge and for taking the time to do this, you're going to help a lot of us get thank you. I really appreciate being here. I'm honored to be called one of your guests. I know you have really remarkable and inspirational people and I'm happy to be here. Hey everybody Steven here from the booth. Sorry to interrupt for a second, but I have to tell you about Spotify on Spotify. You can listen to all your favorite artists and podcasts in one place for free. You don't even need a premium account Spotify as a huge catalogue of podcasts on every topic including Better Together, which I'm hoping you're listening to right now on Spotify. You can follow your favorite podcast. So you never miss an episode premium users can download episodes to listen to offline wherever you are and you can easily share what you're listening to with your friends on Instagram. Remember, Marie always says to be nice people make good choices and be present and one of the things you can do presently is make a good choice to go download the Spotify app and search for Better Together. You can browse other podcasts in your library Tab and you can make sure to follow us here. So you don't miss an episode of Better Together guys. What have we learned? And that this episode needs to be spread far and wide to everyone we know yes. Yes. That is what I know honestly, how do we are do ourselves each week? I'm like blown away every week. Oh my God. How did we not know about this? That's what you get when you said that you were like, we didn't even know it's like covered by insurance or just crazy. How did we not know about we've been in the dark we've been hiding under rocks scam how have why haven't you told us about this scam? Yes scam. It's the deal. This is my fault. I believe you. We've been doing the show for weeks now months. Now, you know what we have to think Gabby Bernstein. Yes. So now we going to ask her hmm, who else you got and like you said? Yeah sure this far and wide guys because so many of us are in pain and it's all real and no one's pain should be dismissed or ignored and You know, yes, there are different degrees of it. But everyone's pain is real and everybody wants healing and if you can do a couple sessions of EMDR couple hours of your life to be healed and be able to move forward and a better way. I can't wait. I am scheduling it today for me and like 80 other people. So Tammy maybe not available for you guys, but still literally just spent like 10 minutes just reaching out to all of her family like this is what we need. Yeah. I have one friend in particular those like this is going to cure you. Oh my Lord. I'm so grateful because everything happens at the right time. Like I have a friend who's in a critical place and I was trying to figure out who what what's the solution and it's critical on him like this is this is it and the next couple of days will be done will be through it. Like that's I know possible because of what you just said, it could be as little as three sessions. It could even be one but part of it is is that I have friends who have suffered from sexual abuse and they were so desperate. They tried to shock therapy and things that literally block out the part of your memory that had that and it always returns but this is a solution that it's not painful. It's not like doing something to your brain your what you were saying reprogram me and you're putting something over it. That's like make sense. Yeah it is. Painful weed. So shock therapy in the frontal lobe and that had to have heard. Yeah. Yeah. That's when there's EMDR but this is why when you know better you get better right people don't know about EMDR like we didn't I was aware of EMDR. I just didn't know much about it. And so I'm super grateful that we got to chat with Tammy and learn so much about it. I hope it's helpful to you guys. Like I said think of the people that you love and share this episode. I sewed with them. And anybody who does do EMDR as a result of this share your stories with us in the comments section of Apple podcast YouTube Spotify. Let us know you can email us at better together with Maria at gmail.com. We love love. Love to hear from you. As always. Thank you guys for listening and for commenting it does light up my life. We got such a nice comment like YouTube has been Giving us life and iTunes out obviously Apple podcast, but we got such a nice comment on one of our patreon posted the other day. I'm gonna text it to you. I'm going to pull it up right now because yeah, that's what really made me cry Carolyn Taylor Who's one of our patrons on patreon said I'm starting to soak legumes and cook them with my Sunday meal prep, and I'm also roasting veggies like butternut squash brussels sprouts etcetera to add to loose leaf lettuce and salad throughout the week. I've even started buying the interval of size individual size pre-made salads and throwing out the dressing and using my own for busy weeks. I don't write a lot online due to my own neurological issues, but I'm listening all the time and after 5 years struggling with chronic vestibular migraines. I finally feel like I found my tribe with tears in my eyes and love in my heart sending you all the positive energy on this beautiful Sunday. So beautiful. I mean you guys kill me. We are your tribe and your our tribe and soon we'll get to meet our tribe because I am going to start putting events together where we can all connect and get together. And so that is on the horizon. I just got to get my mom, you know well and and then we can move forward with some of that stuff, but I am excited about that in the meantime Stephen. Will you let some of our Listeners who aren't a part of patreon yet know what we're doing. So we are building a community on patreon because obviously, you know Maria with everything she went through on this to be a passion project, but it just became so much more and through it becoming more we want to be able to do more. So we have three episodes a week right now this episode as well as an after show where we discuss our interviews and then we also have a second full episode that we tape every Tuesday. So we have three episodes every single week. For you guys for patrons and you know what you get the show at free on patreon. So we upload the podcast you can subscribe to an RSS feed there with and we will make a video to show you how to like add it onto your Apple podcast feed or your smartphone and you'll get all of our episodes ad-free on there and you get access to our Discord where you can communicate with Maria you can communicate with me and Steph ask questions and certain tiers can like interact with our guests and stuff like that before these shows. It's really cool and it's been really fun to build it. Yeah, because you know, the interaction is Super amazing. Yeah, we want to be closer connected to everybody and and I think the idea behind even being able to connect with our guests is really cool, too. So we are excited about the patreon and if you want more information, you can go to patreon.com backslash join backslash Maria Menounos stuff you put that in the summary every week. I'm sure anyways, so you guys can just click in the summary if you want to learn more about EMDR you can just visit EMDR.com if you want to learn more about the Transformation Center that is tami's Center. You can visit transformation - center.org, which is also going to be in the summary could be like to keep things easy for you. Is there anything else I'm missing you also mentioned on the show another another research which which was EMDR happened. You can find that at www.imtcva.org H AP h a P okay, you can't forget our Apple podcast comment. We have a bunch of them, but I just want to highlight one which is Aspen for Mass says grateful. I'm so grateful for you and your team and the amazing people and content you bring each week. I learn and grow as well as gain comfort that there are really many like-minded people out there. I've been on my own personal development journey of created so much happiness and health and abundance after conquering many challenges and I'm so inspired and comforted from you and your guests stories each week PS ever since your XM radio show. I've been telling my kids to be kind and make good choices each morning. And when I drop them off at school, I love that. Yeah be kind to make good choices. Alright guys, that's it for us today. Thank you so much again for joining us. You can follow us at Maria Menounos at Tam csw for Timmy velocity at stuffs a bra at Steven Lim you photo and remember be nice people make good choices and be present.
Join our Facebook group! Patreon.com/BetterTogetherWithMaria   How have we gone this long without hearing about EMDR-Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing? The team feels indebted to Tammy Valicenti, a practicing psychotherapist with expertise in trauma and addiction recovery, for teaching us about this therapy that is helping heal people with incredible success rates. EMDR helps the patient process and resolve stored memories using an eight-phase approach. Practitioners initially used it to treat people with traumatic memories, but they now use it to treat a variety of disorders, including: phobias, PTSD, anxiety, chronic pain and depression. EMDR addresses the past experience of trauma, the present triggers for dysfunctional emotions and beliefs, and the positive experience needed to improve future mental and emotional functioning. About Tammy: Tammy Valicenti, LICSW is the founder of The Transformation Center located in the Berkshire hills of Massachusetts. She is a practicing psychotherapist with expertise in trauma and addiction recovery. Tammy works with clients nationally and internationally and has renowned success utilizing EMDR to treat trauma, anxiety and panic as well as to enhance performance for actors and entrepreneurs. Tammy has over twenty years of experience treating various forms of trauma and addiction, and has helped foster life-changing results for survivors of rape and sexual assault. As a result of her success, Tammy has been called on by leading addiction treatment centers in the U.S. to perform EMDR therapy for their inpatient clients. ---   This episode is sponsored by  · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. 