EMDR, Brainspotting and Psychotherapy of Greater Washington DC, LLC

"Brainspotting changed my life! I sought out Dr. Handy’s practice after doing some research on trauma therapy. I was seeing little results from talk therapy and I was very intrigued by her website, so I decided to take a chance. I was impressed after hearing Dr. Handy guarantee results within a few sessions in our initial consultation, so I was excited to begin treatment. I was pleasantly surprised to see how friendly and welcoming she is in person. We only spent a few minutes talking about my background, then we went straight into the treatment. She pulled out her “wand” and worked her magic. I was so laser-focused, hypnotized even, that time passed twice as quickly. Dr. Handy seemed to know exactly what to say without knowing every last detail about my life. I just went along with it, not knowing how or why it worked…but it worked. I followed up with two sessions afterwards, but I honestly would have been fine if I had only done that first one. One hour of her treatment was that life-changing for me. After the third session, I felt like the effects of my trauma had left me completely, and the therapy was no longer necessary. In that short period of time, I had gained more genuine confidence than ever. I felt capable of facing any challenge life had to offer. I give credit not only to the treatment, but also to Dr. Handy herself. Her authenticity and enthusiasm allowed us to connect instantly. I could tell she cares deeply about her work by how invested she was in my personal success. I would recommend her service to anyone who has dealt with trauma in their lives. Thanks again, I appreciate you."

"I am so grateful for Elizabeth and her expertise! I have made tremendous strides in my life thanks to her work. Though a combination of EMDR and brain spotting, she has helped me overcome significant trauma from my early childhood and adult life, and helped me create a foundation for growth and self love. The progress I’ve made in just a few sessions has been remarkable and I highly recommend her to anyone who is tired of letting past trauma define their life!"

"Dr. Handy is an amazing healer! I brought my daughter who is 16 years old when she was at the lowest point in her life. My daughter have had a very traumatic experience that left her depressed and not wanting to go to school. As a mom, I felt desperate and tried everything possible to help my daughter feels better. We tried talk therapy and some other modalities that made my daughter feels worse. After meeting with Dr. Handy for few sessions of brainspotting, I could see my daughter becoming herself again. Dr. Handy healed my daughter’s trauma. My daughter is now happier, has goals and ready to graduate high school next year. Dr. Handy is a healer, a great listener and a just wonderful human being. Dr. Handy has a great work ethic and won’t keep you coming back for more sessions. For my daughter, we worked on the specific traumatic event and she was healed. If you experienced a traumatic event, Dr. Handy is the person that can help."

"I would definitely recommend Dr. Handy to anyone who wants to try brainspotting. Though she goes by Libby with her clients, I’ve referred to her as Dr. Handy out of respect. Be aware that this treatment costs $300 an hour, and insurance is not accepted. Payments can be made by cash or credit card. The treatment (to my understanding as a client): brainspotting is a revolutionary treatment where trauma is treated through mimicking REM sleep eye movements, just as is done in EMDR. During REM sleep, our eyes move rapidly to certain points, and it is during this process that we process our day and in turn shape our very consciousness. EMDR is taken one step further with brainspotting, where the exact points of eye movement where processing occurs are identified while awake, in turn allowing for the reprocessing of whatever information taken in during that specific eye movement. During this treatment you are likely to feel many things, both emotional and physical, as trauma can have physical manifestations as well. When trauma occurs, the brain actually gets damaged, and the way we process everything around us becomes distorted. Often times this distortion happens through “disassociation” where the brain disconnects itself from reality in order to protect itself from trauma, essentially saying that “if reality isn’t real than neither is my trauma”. The reprocessing that occurs allows for the client to “untie the knots in their brain” and thus view the trauma and the outside world more rationally, in turn clearing the path to healing from trauma, and things like disassociation. This “untying of knots in the brain” often feels tingly or like cramps - at the very least that’s how it was for me. This treatment has helped me turn my life around incredibly in less than a year. It’s also worked significantly better than any talk therapy I’ve tried (regardless of what other professional I consulted, or what other country I was in). I’ve been recommending brainspotting to everyone I know as if it were gospel. This was my best attempt at explaining the treatment as a non-professional. NOTE: as far as I know, brainspotting does not require any surgery or medication, making it vastly cheaper (and frankly easier) than other psychotherapies. Dr. Handy (Libby) as a brainspotting service provider: Dr. Handy is very professional, and has a lot of experience under her sleeve. She is result oriented and ethical; she doesn’t view clients as cash cows but rather as people whose lives she wants to impact for the better. Nor does she push any political ideology (I’ve come across some therapists who do). She fulfills every expectation one could have of a mental help specialist. Her skills, combined with the effectiveness of brainspotting, lead to wonderful results."

"Elizabeth is very skilled in her field. She is effective, thorough and receptive to all your trauma concerns. I had miraculous shifts in my mentality and behaviors after both Brainspotting and EMDR sessions. Elizabeth ensures fast improvements. She will not push you toward unnecessary sessions but is always open for more sessions if you need. Highly recommend her for exploring these healing techniques."