Our clinicians are also licensed with the Florida Department of Health.

Most of the time the answer is yes! Mindful Journey is in-network with most major insurance providers which includes Medicare, BCBS, UMR/Optum, United Healthcare, Aetna, Cigna/Evernorth, WebTPA, Magellan, Humana, Tricare, Behavioral Services Network, First Health and United Behavioral Health. By verifying your benefits we can get an approximate idea of what your insurance will cover and what your out of pocket cost may be. If we are not in-network with your provider, you may still be able to use your insurance. Mindful Journey Therapy is not in network with Medicaid.

We treat men and women ages 18+ who have mental healthcare needs.

Mindful Journey Therapy is committed to treating all of our clients, family members and staff with respect and dignity. Out standards of confidentiality are upheld by all staff members and a copy of our Privacy Practices and Client Rights are provided at your initial intake appointment.

Benefits and Outcomes: Participating in therapy may include benefits such as the resolution of presenting problems as well as improved intrapersonal and interpersonal relationships. The therapeutic process may reduce distress, enhance stress management, and increase one’s ability to cope with problems related to work, family, personal, relational, etc. This can increase overall harmony and lead to greater happiness. Your therapist will ask for your feedback and assess your progress towards your goals on a regular basis.

Expectations: In order for our clients to reach their therapeutic goals, it is essential they complete tasks assigned between sessions. Therapy is not a quick fix. It takes time and effort. During the therapy process, we identify goals, review progress, and modify the treatment plan as needed.

Structure of Therapy:
● Intake Phase – During the first session, the therapeutic process, structure, policies and procedures will be discussed. We will also explore your experiences surrounding the problems you need help with.
● Assessment Phase –During this assessment phase, your therapist will be getting to know you. They will ask questions to gain an understanding of your worldview, strengths, concerns, needs, relationship dynamics, etc. During this relationship building process, your therapist will be gathering a lot of information to aid in the therapeutic approach best suited for your needs and goals. If it is determined that Mindful journey Therapy is not the best fit for your therapeutic needs, we will provide referrals for more appropriate treatment.
● Goal Development/Treatment Planning – After gathering background information, we will collaborate to identify your therapeutic goals.
● Intervention Phase – This phase occurs anywhere from session two until
graduation/discharge/termination. Each client must actively participate in therapy sessions, utilize solutions discussed, and complete assignments between sessions. Progress will be reviewed and goals adjusted as needed.
● Graduation/Discharge/Termination – As you progress and get closer to completing goals, we will collaboratively discuss a transition plan for graduation/discharge/termination.

Length of Therapy: Therapy sessions are typically weekly or biweekly for 45-50 minutes depending upon the nature of the presenting challenges and insurance authorizations. It is difficult to initially predict how many
sessions will be needed. We will collaboratively discuss from session to session what the next steps are and how often therapy sessions will occur.

EMDR is a structured therapy that encourages the patient to focus briefly on the trauma memory while simultaneously experiencing bilateral stimulation (typically eye movements), which is associated with a reduction in the vividness and emotion associated with the trauma memories. Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) therapy is an extensively researched, effective psychotherapy method proven to help people recover from trauma and PTSD symptoms. Ongoing research supports positive clinical outcomes showing EMDR therapy as a helpful treatment for disorders such as anxiety, depression, OCD, chronic pain, addictions, and other distressing life experiences (Maxfield, 2019). EMDR therapy has even been superior to Prozac in trauma treatment (Van der Kolk et al., 2007). Shapiro and Forrest (2016) share that more than 7 million people have been treated successfully by 110,000 therapists in 130 countries since 2016.

The American Psychiatric Association, the American Psychological Association, the International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies, the National Alliance on Mental Illness, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, the U.K. National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, the U.S. Dept. of Veterans Affairs/Dept. of Defense, the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, and the World Health Organization among many other national and international organizations recognize EMDR therapy as an effective treatment.

References

Maxfield, L. (2019). A clinician’s guide to the efficacy of EMDR therapy. Journal of EMDR Practice and Research [Editorial], 13(4), 239-246. Open access: http://dx.doi.org/10.1891/1933-3196.13.4.239

Shapiro, F., & Forrest, M. S. (2016). EMDR: The breakthrough therapy for overcoming anxiety, stress, and trauma. Hachette UK

Van der Kolk, B.A., Spinazzola, J., Blaustein, M.E., Hopper, J.W., Hopper, E.K., Korn, D. L., & Simpson, W.B. (2007). A randomized clinical trial of eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR), fluoxetine, and pill placebo in the treatment of posttraumatic stress disorder: treatment effects and long-term maintenance. Journal of Clinical Psychiatry, 68(1), 37-46.

EMDR therapy does not require talking in detail about the distressing issue or
completing homework between sessions. EMDR therapy, rather than focusing on changing the emotions, thoughts, or behaviors resulting from the distressing issue, allows the brain to resume its natural healing process. EMDR therapy is designed to resolve unprocessed traumatic memories in the brain. For many clients, EMDR therapy can be completed in fewer sessions than other psychotherapies.

Our brains have a natural way to recover from traumatic memories and events. This process involves communication between the amygdala (the alarm signal for stressful events), the hippocampus (which assists with learning, including memories about safety and danger), and the prefrontal cortex (which analyzes and controls behavior and emotion). While many times traumatic experiences can be managed and resolved spontaneously, they may not be processed without help.

Stress responses are part of our natural fight, flight, or freeze instincts. When distress from a disturbing event remains, the upsetting images, thoughts, and emotions may create an overwhelming feeling of being back in that moment, or of being “frozen in time.” EMDR therapy helps the brain process these memories, and allows normal healing to resume. The experience is still remembered, but the fight, flight, or freeze response from the original event is resolved.

EMDR therapy helps children and adults of all ages. Therapists use EMDR therapy to address a wide range of challenges:

• Anxiety, panic attacks, and phobias
• Chronic Illness and medical issues
• Depression and bipolar disorders
• Dissociative disorders

• Eating disorders
• Grief and loss
• Pain
• Performance anxiety
• Personality disorders
• Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and other trauma and stress-related issues

• Sexual assault
• Sleep disturbance
• Substance abuse and addiction
• Violence and abuse

EMDR therapy is a mental health intervention. As such, it should only be offered by properly trained and licensed mental health clinicians. EMDRIA does not condone or support indiscriminate uses of EMDR therapy such as “do-it-yourself” virtual therapy.

After the therapist and client agree that EMDR therapy is a good fit, the client will work through the eight phases of EMDR therapy with their therapist.

Attention will be given to a negative image, belief, emotion, and body sensation related to this event, and then to a positive belief that would indicate the issue was resolved.

A typical EMDR therapy session lasts from 60-90 minutes. EMDR therapy may be used within a standard talking therapy, as an adjunctive therapy with a separate therapist, or as a treatment all by itself.