Stephen A. Silliman, LPC

Closely related to family therapy, couples therapy is a type of counseling that seeks to help couples improve their relationship. A therapist may teach each partner in the relationship specific skills, such as managing or expressing their emotions, conflict resolution, communication skills, and problem solving. Both people in the couple need to be committed to learning new skills themselves as well as putting effort into supporting the relationship. The typical goals of couples therapy are to decrease conflict, unhappiness, and resentment, as well as increase communication, intimacy, and connection.

Couples therapy may be offered privately, at a university, or in a group practice. It is usually short-term therapy, lasting a few weeks until the participants have learned new skills and have the ability to repair their relationship. Its effectiveness depends on the willingness of both participants to commit to therapy and make the relationship a priority. For many couples it can be extremely helpful.

We don't yet know what causes depression, but it's thought that it is a combination of genetic, biological, environmental, and social influences. Because of this, the most effective treatments for depression combine medication with psychotherapy. Therapy, especially cognitive-behavioral therapy, can be extremely helpful in resolving the negative thoughts and feelings that come with depression. It gives patients new tools that they can use themselves to cope when their depression is making them feel down.

Some of the common medications used to treat depression include antidepressants such as SSRI's (Prozac, Paxil, Zoloft) or atypical antidepressants (Cymbalta, Wellbutrin). It's important to remember that these medications have different effects on everybody, and no one medication works right for everyone. Patients may have to try a couple before finding the one that works just right for them. If the first medication they try doesn't work, they should talk to their doctor about trying something else. In extreme cases where medication is not enough, electro-convulsive therapy and hospitalization may be the answer to keeping a severely depressed person safe.

Depression is a difficult illness to deal with, but it is more common than believed and there are many people who can help. With the right treatment, individuals with depression can get back to fully enjoying life again.

During an EMDR therapy session, patients are encouraged to access upsetting memories and to reprocess them. Reprocessing is achieved by repeated and rapid bilateral (side to side) eye movements, tapping one's chest and face, and auditory and visual stimulation. These techniques can desensitize patients to their traumatic memory. By reframing how a patient interprets a memory, EMDR is believed to weaken the fight-or-flight response and to rebalance the nervous system. For patients with PTSD, EMDR can treat recurring flashbacks and triggers by reducing the hyperarousal response and promoting emotional regulation.

EMDR patients are first asked to identify a specific memory to reprocess, called the ?target event.? Patients can discuss their feelings, sensations, and beliefs about the event, and may share a picture or use descriptive imagery. Therapists usually employ a set of measurements called the Subjective Units of Disturbance (SUD) scale to assess the patient's distress. Later on, therapists and patients may compare the patient's initial SUD score to their score following an EMDR session. Unlike other forms of therapy, EMDR patients are not prompted to analyze and reflect on details of their traumatic memory at length.

With a target event having been selected, therapists may begin the desensitization process. They instruct patients to perform eye movements, body taps, or sounds while capturing the target event in their mind. These techniques are called dual attention bilateral stimulation (BLS) and can help a patient feel calm and aware, while simultaneously invoking the brain's processing system. Patients may continue these techniques until their SUD distress level has decreased. Patients are then asked to derive a positive thought or affirmation about the target event, and to repeat or strengthen it until it feels sincere. A final ''body scan'' is where patients focus on both the target event and positive cognition to evaluate their physical response and identify any remaining distress. If the traumatic incident is not fully processed in one session, patients are asked to contain the memory and to avoid returning to it until their next EMDR session.

EMDR may greatly improve quality of life in people who suffer from latent trauma and adverse life experiences. EMDR may also be effective for those whose prior experience with talk therapy was unsuccessful.