Zach Van Eps, MA, LPC, NCC

So many people today suffer from debilitating symptoms due to traumatic incidents in their past. Some people choose to continue suffering in silence because they feel as if they deserved what they got, or they find it much easier to try to avoid the issue rather than having to accept its existence as reality and actually think about and talk about it. I want to help people take back control over these issues that have ruled their lives for far too long. My training in eye movement, desensitization, and reprocessing (EMDR) has allowed me to guide people toward a new-found freedom over these problems. EMDR is a scientifically-based and research-supported treatment that is particularly useful in helping people with PTSD, anxiety, phobias, and other issues to conquer these ailments.

I was skeptical about therapy once as well. "What is someone going to tell me about myself that I don't already know?" "I should be able to figure out my own issues." These thoughts kept me from asking for the help I really needed at difficult times in my life. My skepticism and aversion toward asking for help only delayed the process of my healing and took away time that I could have been living a happy and fulfilling life. I eventually found that asking for help was the action that actually took the most strength and courage. It did not make me weak. Rather, it was my path to becoming strong. After becoming a therapist and beginning to see the world differently, I soon realized that all people need help and could benefit from therapy. I noticed that people should not feel weird or abnormal for going to therapy, because it is "normal" to need help. We don't think twice about going to the doctor when we have a medical issue that needs treatment, and we also don't think others are strange or weird when they have a physical ailment, as we recognize that everyone's bodies break down at some point. Why then is it seen any differently when we seek treatment for mental ailments? Our brains are just like any other part of our bodies. They break down, get sick and need treatment. "What about the cost?" Therapy should be seen as an investment in yourself. Choosing therapy will pay huge and long-lasting dividends. Recognize that your happiness is priceless. Invest in you.