How EMDR for Anxiety and Depression in Children and Teens Can Help.

As a Parent, You Want the Best for Your Child

You care about your child more than anything. In fact, you want what’s best for them, but what do you do when your child or teen is dealing with anxiety and depression? As a parent or caregiver, seeing your child struggle with their mental health can be very painful and stressful, and even heartbreaking. You don’t want to see them suffer but it’s hard to know what to do. Perhaps therapy has been on your mind, or you’ve tried CBT or Play Therapy yet it didn’t seem to be enough or your child only got so far. 

As a therapist who works with children and teens struggling with anxiety, panic attacks, low self-esteem, mood swings, and depression, I see this a lot. Traditional talk therapy isn’t always effective for children and teens. Sometimes a different approach to working through anxiety and depression is what truly helps them overcome their worries, self-destructive thoughts, and low self-worth. EMDR can help your child get past the “stuck” points.

There are so many events going on right now that impact stress and anxiety in children and teens.

Today kids are bombarded with a whole new set of stressors from navigating their social relationships to club sports and academics. Whether it is COVID-related, school, social media, bullying, performance anxiety or loss, it may be hard to recognize when his/her stress has become “too much”. Parents face another challenge, your child’s world is not the one you grew up in and you question if your child’s behavior, like isolating or moods are normal, so you may feel uncertain whether she/he needs professional help.

Now more than ever, trauma, stress, anxiety, and depression are increasing. Your child maybe experiencing a really hard time in these hard times. Whether your child’s anxiety and depression were present before the pandemic or increased because of it, it is vital is to recognize what is happening now and seek help. EMDR therapy can help cope with stressors, get unstuck.

EMDR can be used for more than traumatic events and experiences

One common misconception about EMDR is that it is solely used to treat combat trauma or sexual assault. However, it also effectively treats chronic stress, depression, and anxiety. I have advanced training in treating children and teens with EMDR.  It helps them get unstuck in their mind and body from painful experiences.

Why Choose EMDR for Depression and Anxiety

The reason I use EMDR in my sessions with children, adolescents, and teens is your child doesn't have to go in-depth about the story to heal. Sometimes uses of talk therapy or heavily language-based approaches don’t work with this daunting nature of retelling painful experiences or trying to find the words.

While I also do EMDR for adults, my approach for children/teens that particularly struggle with anxiety or depression involves, the use of the EMDR Sandtray protocol. This can be done in-person and online. 

What does EMDR Stand For? How Does it Work?

Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing therapy is one of my favorite approaches to use with kids and teens. EMDR is effective and integrative psychotherapy. In fact, many studies back up its validity as a therapeutic technique. EMDR therapy can be used as a stand-alone treatment or used in conjunction with other therapeutic methods such as Dyadic Developmental Psychotherapy or DBT. 

EMDR can be a shorter course of treatment than other psychotherapies. This can be useful to people who don’t want to do therapy long-term. However, everyone moves at their own pace and the therapeutic process requires time.

EMDR has 8 Phases

Here are the basic phases of EMDR which are laid out into an 8-phase treatment

1. History and treatment planning

2. Preparation

3. Assessment

4. Desensitization

5. Installation

6. Body Scan

7. Closure

8. Reevaluation

Preparation is key. Often people want to dive into reprocessing but the preparation phase is an essential part of the healing process. 

Here is the basic rundown of the EMDR Sandtray Method for children, and teens.

With young kids, teens, adolescents, and some adults, the Sandtray method can be very effective with EMDR. Here is why: your child will be able to place some distance between the trauma, anxiety, or depression in the context of their story. Your child will be able to process what they are distressed about and externalize his/her inner dialogue into the world of the sandtray. This is communicated through the use of play, which is a child’s main form of communication. The purpose of the sandtray figures and sand helps your child process through the use of symbols- the things they can’t express verbally, to stay within their “Window of Tolerance.”  It offers a doorway into their behaviors, symptoms, painful memories, or preverbal trauma and allows the worlds and stories they create to become the focal point of targeting.

Therapy is not always immediately available, here are some tips to work on with your child and teens now:

I want to provide you with some practical tips you can use now to supporting your child’s emotional well-being. Some great coping mechanisms and exercises include: 

Mindfulness practice and breathing exercises are incredibly effective

Try using paced breathing. Basically, have your teen or child just inhale to count of 5 and exhale to count of 8. Repeat this breathing sequence 4 times and reevaluate how they are feeling. If they have a hard time doing this on their own there are lots of apps that can help her/him to develop a mindfulness practice.

Connect to your body and provide movement

No matter what the season is, there is always a way to spend time in nature and move your body. Especially here in Phoenix! After dinner take a walk together, practice yoga, stretch or play freeze dance. There are many ways to incorporate movement, even if that means getting up for 5 minutes walking breaks around the house during every hour. On some fitness watches, they even have a notification that reminds you to move.

Game night

Start a family game night. Pick a game that’s age-appropriate for all family members. Playing games as a family increases connection and engagement. Your child needs and craves this.

Establish connection with a supportive friend or family member

Now with access to media, connections can be easier than ever. Even if we cannot connect in person as easily as before, we can still interact with others. Try encouraging your children to spend time with a supportive friend or family member via zoom or skype.

Our brains are made to heal. People are resilient and capable of overcoming our deepest wounds. The positives of EMDR not only looks at the past disturbing material, and current triggers but also addresses the future. This allows us to have hope for what can come.

However, know that while EDMR therapy for anxiety and depression can help your child, EMDR doesn't erase the painful memories, but it can remove the disturbance, so your body and mind can process your past better and not remain in stuck-ness. 

EMDR can also help improve self-esteem and increase self-confidence by identifying your child’s negative beliefs from "I'm not good enough" I' can't do it "Something is wrong with me" to a positive belief, "I'm good enough, I'm capable, I'm okay just the way I am.". Ultimately know, It takes consistency and time to fully heal, but it can be done. If you’re looking to help your child to overcome this barrier, I am here to help with online EMDR therapy in Phoenix, AZ.

Begin counseling for your teen in Phoenix, AZ, and surrounding areas 

If your teen, child, or preteen is struggling right now, My Phoenix, Arizona counseling practice offers several types of highly effective therapeutic modalities for them. It may be time for them to begin overcoming their past and finding lasting change. More than developing minds need support. My online therapy practice in Arizona can help your children move forward and conquer their anxiety and depression. You will work with a skilled and caring EMDR therapist in Phoenix, AZ, Tahirih Herrera, who will help your children heal and be the best version of themselves. To begin counseling follow these simple steps:

1. Contact Tahirih Herrera 

2. Meet with Tahirih, a skilled, and caring EMDR therapist

3. Watch your child move past anxiety and depression to find joy!

Other Counseling and Mental Health Services

At my Phoenix, AZ therapy practice, I offer a wide range of mental health services for the entire family. For example, my counseling services include therapy for children, anxiety treatment, pre-teen therapy, EMDR, trauma, grief and loss counseling and, therapy for teens. All these services are available via online therapy in Arizona. Therefore, you can begin counseling online from Tuscon, Mesa, Chandler, Scottsdale, or anywhere in the state. Your child deserves confidence, happiness, and joy. As a therapist, I can help your child, preteen or teen. I look forward to connecting with your family!