EMDR Therapy in Palos Heights, Illinois | Illinois Medicaid Accepted
Grief can bring more than sadness. After losing someone important, you may experience intrusive memories, guilt, anxiety, anger, numbness, sleep difficulties, or the feeling that part of you is still stuck in the moment everything changed.
For some people, talking about a loss provides meaningful support. For others, certain memories, images, regrets, or reminders continue to feel overwhelming.
EMDR therapy may offer another way to process some of the most distressing parts of grief and traumatic loss.
If you’ve been searching for an EMDR therapist near you in Palos Heights or Chicago’s South Suburbs, Victress, A Wellness Center for Women provides trauma-informed therapy in person and through telehealth for Illinois clients.
Victress also accepts Illinois Medicaid, including Blue Cross Community Health Plans (BCCHP), Meridian Health, and Aetna Better Health of Illinois.
What Is EMDR Therapy?
EMDR stands for Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing. It is a structured psychotherapy approach used to help people process distressing experiences and traumatic memories.
During EMDR therapy, your therapist may help you identify memories and the thoughts, emotions, beliefs, and physical sensations associated with them. EMDR incorporates bilateral stimulation, such as guided eye movements or other forms of alternating stimulation, during parts of the therapeutic process.
The goal isn’t to erase a memory. Instead, EMDR is designed to help distressing experiences become more adaptively processed so they may no longer feel as emotionally overwhelming.
Can EMDR Help With Grief?
Grief is a natural response to loss, and experiencing grief does not automatically mean that you need therapy.
Sometimes, however, grief and trauma become intertwined.
This may happen following:
- A sudden or unexpected death
- Suicide or overdose loss
- Pregnancy or infant loss
- The death of a child
- A violent or frightening death
- A serious accident or medical emergency
- A prolonged illness or difficult caregiving experience
- Witnessing a loved one’s suffering
- Multiple significant losses
In these circumstances, you may be grieving the person while also struggling with how the loss happened.
You might repeatedly picture a hospital room, replay the phone call when you learned what happened, return to your last conversation, or become stuck in thoughts such as, “What if I had done something differently?”
When clinically appropriate, EMDR can provide a structured way to address distressing memories, thoughts, beliefs, and triggers connected with the loss.
What Can Traumatic Grief Feel Like?
When trauma becomes intertwined with grief, you may experience:
- Intrusive memories or images
- Nightmares
- Avoidance of reminders
- Guilt or self-blame
- Repeatedly replaying what happened
- Anxiety about losing someone else
- Strong reactions to anniversaries, places, or other reminders
- Difficulty accessing positive memories without immediately thinking about the death
- Feeling emotionally disconnected
- Difficulty imagining a future after the loss
These experiences don’t mean you’re grieving incorrectly. They may indicate that certain aspects of the loss remain particularly distressing and could benefit from additional support.
How Is EMDR Used for Grief?
EMDR for grief is individualized. You generally don’t arrive at your first appointment and immediately begin processing your most painful memory.
Assessment and preparation are important parts of EMDR therapy. Your therapist will want to understand your history, current concerns, support system, and treatment goals.
When appropriate, EMDR may eventually focus on specific memories associated with the loss. That could be the moment you learned someone had died, an experience in a hospital, or guilt surrounding a final conversation.
Therapy cannot change what happened. It may, however, help change the way your mind and body respond to the memory.
The goal isn’t forgetting someone you love. It’s helping you carry the memory differently.
Is EMDR Right for My Grief?
EMDR isn’t automatically the right treatment for every grieving person.
It may be worth discussing with a therapist when grief is accompanied by distressing memories, trauma symptoms, avoidance, guilt, self-blame, or intense triggers related to the circumstances surrounding a death.
An individualized assessment can help determine whether EMDR, grief counseling, another therapeutic approach, or a combination of approaches may best fit your needs.
EMDR Therapy With Stanley Buford in Palos Heights
Stanley Buford, MA, LPC, NCC, CPT, is an EMDR Certified Therapist at Victress, A Wellness Center for Women.
Stanley is a National Board Certified and Licensed Professional Counselor whose clinical experience includes grief, PTSD, anxiety, depression, and trauma-related concerns.
He provides therapy in person in Palos Heights and via telehealth for Illinois clients.
Victress is located at:
7120 W 127th Street
Palos Heights, IL 60463
Our Palos Heights location serves clients throughout Chicago’s South and Southwest Suburbs, including Palos Heights, Orland Park, Oak Lawn, Tinley Park, Oak Forest, and surrounding communities.
EMDR Therapy That Accepts Illinois Medicaid
If you’ve been searching for an EMDR therapist near you who accepts Medicaid, Victress accepts several Illinois Medicaid plans, including:
- Blue Cross Community Health Plans (BCCHP)
- Meridian Health
- Aetna Better Health of Illinois
Insurance eligibility and benefits vary, so coverage should be verified before beginning treatment. Our team can help verify your insurance information.
Frequently Asked Questions About EMDR for Grief
Can EMDR help after someone dies?
It may. For some people, the circumstances surrounding a death become intertwined with grief. EMDR may be used to address particularly distressing memories and triggers associated with those circumstances.
Will EMDR make me forget my loved one?
No. EMDR isn’t designed to erase memories. When used as part of grief therapy, treatment may focus on helping particularly painful or traumatic aspects of the loss become less distressing.
How many EMDR sessions will I need?
There isn’t one number that applies to everyone. Treatment length depends on your history, current symptoms, treatment goals, experiences being addressed, and other individual factors.
Is EMDR only for PTSD?
EMDR is widely associated with trauma and PTSD treatment, but therapists may consider EMDR when working with other distressing experiences, including aspects of grief and loss when clinically appropriate.
Is there an EMDR Certified Therapist near Palos Heights?
Yes. Stanley Buford, MA, LPC, NCC, CPT, is an EMDR Certified Therapist at Victress, A Wellness Center for Women in Palos Heights, Illinois. In-person and telehealth therapy are available.
Does Victress accept Illinois Medicaid for EMDR therapy?
Victress accepts Illinois Medicaid plans including Blue Cross Community Health Plans (BCCHP), Meridian Health, and Aetna Better Health of Illinois. Coverage and eligibility should be verified before treatment.
Find an EMDR Therapist Near You in Chicago’s South Suburbs
If grief, traumatic loss, PTSD, or painful memories are affecting everyday life, EMDR therapy is available close to home in Chicago’s South Suburbs.
Victress, A Wellness Center for Women
7120 W 127th Street
Palos Heights, IL 60463
EMDR Certified Therapist: Stanley Buford, MA, LPC, NCC, CPT
Illinois Medicaid Accepted | In-Person & Telehealth
Call 708-428-2527 or request an appointment with Victress to learn more about EMDR therapy, verify your insurance benefits, and determine whether EMDR may be a good fit for you.
Learn more about our EMDR therapy services in Chicago and Illinois