Therapist Champions Affordable, Innovative Trauma Treatment

Long Beach resident Amie Lowery-Luties is a licensed therapist determined to make therapy affordable for everyone. Her mission has led her to not only recommend a highly effective alternative to traditional methods but also ensure that it's accessible to as many people as possible.A growing body of research suggests a new therapeutic approach called the Flash Technique (FT) could revolutionize how clinicians treat traumatic memories. Developed within the preparation phase of Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) therapy, FT allows individuals to reduce the emotional intensity of disturbing memories—often in just minutes—without having to fully relive them.Instead of focusing directly on the trauma, clients concentrate on a positive, engaging activity while intermittently “flashing” their eyes as prompted by a therapist. This process appears to grant the brain brief, calm access to the memory, enabling it to be reconsolidated with less emotional charge.Luties says her passion for the work comes from a desire to make therapy more accessible. “That's where my passion always came from," she explained. “Trying to make affordable options and doing pro-bono work. And volunteer work.” She believes therapy is essential, and affordability is just as important. “There are people who are not lazy, who are really hard workers who just weren't given the same opportunity for whatever reason,” she said.Luties uses a variation called Four Blink Flash Therapy, which works similarly to EMDR but with some differences. “You watch a YouTube video,” she said. “The only rule is that it can't have to do with what you’re working on.” For example, if someone is trying to heal from a divorce and was married on the beach, they should avoid videos that include the ocean or sand.For Luties, the results with Four Blink Therapy have been striking. “It’s put me out of business with a lot of clients,” she joked, noting that the method often allows her patients to laugh instead of cry their PTSD away. “That is the most freeing and cool feeling that I’ve ever experienced in my 30 years of being a therapist.”Researchers have adapted the method for group settings, children, highly dissociative clients, and even without the blinking or bilateral stimulation used initially. The approach has been effective in easing symptoms such as anxiety, avoidance, and intrusive thoughts, and in improving psychological quality of life.While scientists are still exploring the exact neurological mechanisms, early models suggest FT taps into brain systems that allow trauma processing without triggering an overwhelming fear response.Experts caution that more controlled trials are needed, but the results so far point to FT—and variations like Four Blink Flash Therapy—as promising, low-intensity alternatives for those struggling with traumatic memories.Luties believes the world would be a better place if everyone had access to mental health care. In that spirit, she and Therapy Shortcut—the site that offers Four Blink Flash Therapy—are offering a special promotion to JackieRaeTV.com readers.Therapy Shortcut typically offers Four Blink Flash Therapy for $20 per month with a seven-day free trial. However, by using the following link, readers can receive a 30-day free trial and a discounted membership rate of just $15 per month. (https://www.therapyshortcut.com/30-5/?utm_source=148)In the end, Luties has one goal: to help as many people as possible. “I believe a majority of our issues could probably be solved if people had easy access to mental health,” she said.