Michael Ritter, Ph.D.

Talk is essential to psychotherapy. But some experience, especially trauma, is beyond words. Nonverbal thoughts, imagery, emotional and bodily experiences texture our lives from moment-to-moment and form the basis of our memories - for better or worse. The ways we view ourselves through these memories can set assumptions of who we are and in some cases hold us back. I believe the most successful treatments meet you in the moment and find ways to process the multiple layers (verbal and nonverbal) inherent in experience. The therapeutic relationship is an essential part of this. The tools EMDR offers provide powerful ways to process experience beyond words. I generally begin treatment from either a psychodynamic or an EMDR perspective. I offer integrative options as treatment progresses and a unique balance usually develops in the course of the work. For example, some people seeking talk therapy may not know of EMDR but when a particularly painful or traumatic memory emerges in our process I am in a position to shift gears and offer additional tools. Conversely, some people may be seeking EMDR to process specific traumatic events and as we move forward the ground is cleared for more psychodynamic work. While I certainly do honor non-integrative approaches I find integrative treatment generates a unique synergy that can often translate into wider and more efficient potentials for growth, especially when working with relational trauma. In this vein, I also often work as an adjunctive EMDR therapist for ongoing psychodynamic treatments. This allows for the benefits of integrative EMDR trauma processing in context of existing therapy relationships. In all cases, we will move at your pace and discuss your preferences to determine what treatment options make the most sense. I look forward to the potential of finding the right balance with you.