Expert Therapy in Arizona for Anxiety, Phobias and Trauma
EMDR Therapy for Emergency Physicians and Nurses
65% of Emergency healthcare workers report experiencing burnout. 17-20% of Emergency physicians and residents meet criteria for PTSD. 45% of Emergency physicians don’t feel comfortable pursuing treatment for mental health. Almost 36% of Emergency Physicians suffer from depression. Up to 80% of Emergency Nurses had psychological distress during COVID. 30% of Emergency Nurses have anxiety or depression.
The problem is real.
In the past year, as many as 6,000 Emergency physicians have contemplated suicide and 400 have attempted suicide.
That’s 250% higher than the general population for female physicians, and 70% higher for male physicians.
The best route is to address problems in outpatient, before they get that bad.
You know, like we want our patients to do.
Ignoring depression, anxiety or PTSD and toughing it out doesn’t make it go away.
In fact, chronic or acute depression and anxiety are often caused by ignoring our emotions. It’s a buildup of too much stuff.
I get it, you’re the healer.
You’re supposed to be there for everyone else, be professional, stay calm, keep a clear head, and keep going through the mountain of work. Keep going through the exhaustion and burnout, whatever it takes. Your needs are not even a blip on your radar.
I have been there too.
I spent years working in high-volume Emergency Departments, providing psychiatric evaluations and dispositions.
I get the culture.
I sometimes miss the gallows humor, easy banter and camaraderie that happens in ED’s.
People who have never worked in an ED really don’t get it.
Working in ED’s taught me teamwork, like I’ve never experienced anywhere else.
I love when I get to provide EMDR Therapy for Emergency physicians and nurses, it feels like I’m able to help out my team.
The reality of the stress
I don’t miss the intense burnout, the bone-deep exhaustion, and having to take a beta-blocker every shift so I didn’t have a panic attack halfway through.
I don’t miss the unhealthy ways of coping I had back then to numb my emotions and overwhelm.
There are some things that a hot shower, a meal and sleep can’t fix. If you’re lucky enough to get those things.
In an emergency department, there’s so much that happens everyday, you can’t metabolize it all.
You got into this field to help people. It’s often not what you expected. But you’re doing your best. It’s a lot.
Some experiences are sticking around longer than you’d like. You’re not sure what to do with them.
How I can help
Emergency physicians and nurses need a confessional where they can go to be absolved before they clock out.
But since that doesn’t exist, I want to offer something that is helpful.
EMDR is the most well researched therapy for desensitizing trauma or overwhelming experiences that are getting stuck. EMDR is targeted to a specific incident, and uses protocols. It can work in just a few sessions, for a single traumatic incident.
EMDR works by using bilateral stimulation, to activate your brain’s own natural ability to process emotions and experiences. You process these through until emotions are desensitized and you are left with a functional, logical belief about the situation that isn’t negative or self-referential.
Once you experience EMDR, you might start recommending it to everyone. That’s how I got here. I found EMDR to be so transformative in my own therapy, I got right to work learning to use it. I’ve been practicing it for 10 years, and have completed over 200 hours of training.
Concerned about confidentiality?
Sometimes Emergency physicians and nurses don’t seek help because they think it might be held against them.
I am a private-pay therapist, so your therapy records with me aren’t automatically shared with your insurance company or employer.
Your treatment with me remains confidential unless:
You report imminent threat to yourself or someone else
You report abuse or neglect of a minor or vulnerable adult
Your records are subpoenaed due to a legal proceeding you are involved in.
If you seek insurance reimbursement, that could trigger your insurance company to ask for your therapy records. You still get to decide if you will allow your records to be shared with them. But if you choose not to, they may not reimburse. It depends on your insurance.
I would love to help you not feel this way anymore, and to help clear away whatever is causing you distress.
