Michael Ellison PhD, LPC-S
Certified EMDR Therapist
Specializing in Anxiety Treatment, Trauma Resolution, and High Conflict Couples Therapy
Anxiety
Anxiety can describe feelings of discomfort, panic attack, phobias, and other symptoms. Our bodies have an alerting system which can malfunction, producing signals of distress when there is no real threat. Fortunately, there are therapy techniques to reduce, or eliminate, these troublesome signals of distress. Therapy for anxiety is successful in more than 90% of people.
For some people, anxiety remains after a traumatic incident. In therapy, these individuals can find relief from their anxiety by working with a specially-trained trauma therapist to resolve both the trauma and the lingering anxiety. Dr. Ellison has treated people with these issues for over thirty years and you too can receive help.
Trauma
When we are the victims of traumatic experiences, we may re-experience those incidents without being able to stop them. Many people resort to alcohol or drugs to self-medicate the feelings of being constantly re-traumatized. Others may suffer deep depression and think of suicide. However, there are a variety of proven treatments for trauma which move people from being a victim toward being a survivor.
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Dr. Ellison is a former first-responder and has witnessed trauma and its effects on individuals, couples, and families. He uses several methods to successfully treat trauma and has conducted research, presented locally and nationally about his research, and authored a book chapter on these methods. If you, a friend, or family member has experienced trauma, know that there are treatments which provide lasting, proven, results.
Relationships
Our relationships can provide the most fulfilling of all human interactions—or be the source of tremendous emotional, physical, or sexual pain. When relationships are hurtful to us, it may lead to a lifetime of misery. A therapy focus on relationshipcan help to improve the lives of individuals, couples, and families that need healthy ways to cope within a family. Blended families due to divorce or re-marriage often benefit from relationship-focused therapy.
Toxic relationships may require individuals, couples, or families to learn new skills to repair hurtful behaviors. Repairing our lives may be necessary for us to thrive in the future; therapy can accelerate that healing process. In fact, individual therapy can be helpful even if others are unwilling to participate in couples or family sessions.
EMDR Therapy
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) Therapy is an integrative psychotherapy approach that has been extensively researched and is proven effective for the treatment of trauma. EMDR Therapy encompasses a set of standardized protocols, and is a comprehensive therapy approach based on Adaptive Information Processing (AIP) Model.
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Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) Therapy developed by Francine Shapiro, PhD., in the 1980's, has been extensively researched and is proven effective for the treatment of trauma. EMDR Therapy has been endorsedby the World Health Organization, Department of Defense, Department of Veteran’s Affairs, The International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies, The American Psychiatric Association, the Israel national Council for Mental Health, SAMHSA’s National Registry of Evidence-based Programs and Practices and others.Originally EMDR was developed to work through disturbing events related to anxiety, stress and trauma (that may stem from a single traumatic experience, ongoing experiences, or complex trauma), EMDR Therapy has also proven effective to produce positive treatment outcomes for a variety of other concerns, such as addictions, phobias, eating disorders, performance enhancement, anxiety, relationship issues, and pain disorders.
As an EMDRIA Certified EMDR Therapist, I work with individuals to help move through disturbing symptoms that interfere with living, loving, working and experiencing life today. Together we can identify the experiences that are creating blocks for you, allowing you to move toward what you want. If you experience overwhelming levels of emotion, negative core beliefs (such as “I’m not good enough,” “I’m not lovable,” “I can’t trust anyone,” or “I’m powerless”) or excessive guilt, you may benefit from EMDR therapy. EMDR Therapy explores beliefs, emotions, thoughts, and felt body sensations that rob the present, seeks to identify and treat the issue where it began, and helps you live at peace in the present and create the future you desire.