Melissa Martin, LCMHC

Now offering EMDR therapy via Telehealth to South Carolina residents outside the Charlotte metroplex. "In-person" and Telehealth services are available to North Carolina and South Carolina residents at my office in Charlotte. I am "out of network" with health insurance companies however I offer super bills which you can use to seek reimbursement. Are you feeling frustrated, stuck, or unsure how to proceed with coping with emotional distress and/or chronic health conditions? Have you had an experience which affects your health, wellbeing, or career? Do you perceive this event or condition interferes with the quality of your life and relationships? What would it be like to experience relief and change? As an Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing ("EMDR") trained clinician, I will help you alleviate emotional distress and physical symptoms related to current situations, medical conditions, and past events. I offer 90 minute EMDR therapy sessions 1-3x/week to assist you in resolving distress so you may show up as your best self every day. The intensive model allows you to resolve your emotional distress over a shorter span of time and is especially beneficial for those who can't attend once-a-week therapy for months. EMDR intensives are available to support you during times you need help the most. Clients who schedule 3 sessions a week will receive a 10% discount. EMDR therapy may be used as your primary therapy or as an adjunct therapy should you already be engaged in counseling. EMDR therapy does not require talking in detail about the distressing issue or completing homework between sessions. Further, rather than focusing on changing the emotions, thoughts, or behaviors resulting from the distressing issue, EMDR allows your brain to resume its natural healing process. Together we will pursue a reduction in your symptoms by creating an EMDR therapy treatment plan based upon what is important to you. Some symptoms and conditions for which EMDR may be effective include: Anxiety Somatic complaints/chronic pain Distressing memories Stress responses and emotional reactivity Adult children of emotionally immature parents Perfectionism Vicarious trauma related to career experiences Emotional distress People pleasing Impulse to be the "fixer" of problems Sense of helplessness or being "stuck" between choices "Triggers" which affect parenting and relationships Grief Sleeplessness Post-traumatic stress disorder My approach to psychotherapy is to treat all of my clients with dignity and respect as they reveal their most vulnerable stories and experiences. Part of my ethos as a psychotherapist is to assist you in leaving our sessions in better condition than when you arrived. The EMDR therapy process involves a self-reflective journey into your past, present, and future by: 1) Identifying the “problem” that brings you to therapy and how the problem came to be by looking at your personal history of relationships, behaviors, and life events; 2)Developing emotion-regulation coping skills and an understanding of your “emotional parts” which drive behavior, thoughts, feelings, and impulses; 3)Choosing a distressing memory or event and using bilateral stimulation (e.g.,eye movements or tapping) to desensitize the memory and strengthen a positive belief about yourself. 4)Identifying current “triggers” of your symptoms and targeting them according to the EMDR therapy protocol; and 5)Developing a picture of how you’d like your future to look once the symptoms have reduced or disappeared. If you’d like to speak more about how counseling or EMDR therapy can help you, please contact me via my website to schedule a free 30-minute consultation. We can meet for this consultation in person or via Telehealth. Also, you're welcome to explore more about EMDR as a psychotherapy by accessing www.emdria.org. You have a story to share and I have the humble desire to listen. Let's move mountains together.