Client Experience
“I've been searching for healing for more than 23 years. Healing from the trauma over my dad's death. Finally I have peace that I've not known. Thank you!”
Because Of You, Lives Are Brighter
What’s the big deal about EMDR you may ask?
Well, how much time do you have?
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) is a trauma treatment tool used in therapy. When practitioners are struggling to make progress, such as with clients with Psychogenic Nonepileptic Seizures (PNES), EMDR can be an option for them.
“That’s one of the things we love about EMDR. It gives us the ability to work with people that have a hard time experiencing success with other types of modalities,” says Dr. Wanda Holloway, LPC, national and international trainer in EMDR at Burrell Behavioral Health.
With EMDR, people can get results after just one session. That’s right. Just one. And it is safe for both children and adults. All you need is a trained therapist that follows protocol, has the tools they need, and adjusts for each person’s unique situation.
EMDR can treat depression, anxiety disorders (including, but not limited to PTSD), eating disorders, sleep disorders, chronic pain, and more. It can also be successful both in person and remotely. How do we know this? Well, we have over 80 practitioners in the Brightli system that provide EMDR and they’ve impacted thousands of clients. And counting.
When new staff were formally trained to use EMDR, the need for more formal equipment and carrying bags arose. Brightli Foundation was able to provide 6 EMDR kits and carrying bags to protect the equipment when traveling. Each kit contains a remote, light bar, tripod, buzzie/tapper, and headphones.
The items are designed to be customizable for visual, auditory, and sensory cues. You can choose the tone for the headphones. The buzzies/tappers are held in the right and left hand and allow for people to close their eyes if they want (helpful for clients that have epilepsy or PTSD). The light bar can utilize different colors and even change speed. Only the best for our clients!
Our therapists have a lot of success stories, but here are just a few examples to let you know the kind of lives you are impacting:
A child was having a very hard time sleeping through the night. They had cleft palate surgery and woke up in the middle of it. Sleeping was difficult ever since. After one session, this child was able to sleep through the night again.
A member of the military was experiencing horrendous nightmares and dangerous thoughts. He had witnessed bombings multiple times and combat every day when he was overseas. Chaos began to rule his life. Even when he came back home. It was hard to process – what he’d seen. And it was taking a toll on his relationship with his partner. Dr. Holloway ended up doing a day-long treatment with him. Afterwards, he asked to give her a hug and said, “I just have to thank you. You have no idea how you’ve changed my life.”
Another client that made a comment after reminiscing on their own EMDR experience says, “I've been searching for healing for more than 23 years. Healing from the trauma over my dad's death. Finally I have peace that I've not known. Thank you!”
After experiencing EMDR, many clients say that they had no idea that they could experience their emotions in that way. They are floored by their progress in such a short time. They swear by it and end up recommending it to their family and friends.
Many people assume that they have to retell their story and all of the details. But EMDR doesn’t require that. Our staff are advocates for not making clients relive their trauma, but instead, reprocess their trauma.
“EMDR really teaches the nervous system how to regulate through distress and find safety in those experiences versus just sitting in the discomfort and sharing the details. It’s teaching the body how to react with the emotion in a different way,” says Christina Hull, LCSW, another trained clinician in EMDR at Burrell Behavioral Health.
In a world where trauma can feel like an unmovable weight, EMDR offers a path forward—one that is grounded in science, compassion, and real results. Whether it’s a child reclaiming peaceful sleep or a veteran rediscovering peace of mind, the stories speak for themselves.
At Brightli Foundation, we’re proud to support our clinicians with the tools they need to bring this transformative therapy to life. Because healing isn’t just possible—it’s happening every day.