What is EMDR Therapy?
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) therapy is an integrative psychotherapy approach that has been extensively researched and proven effective for the treatment of trauma, anxiety, depression and panic disorders. EMDR is a set of standardized protocols that incorporates elements from different treatment approaches.
How does EMDR work?
Our brains have a natural way to recover from traumatic memories and events. Sometimes, a traumatic event may be so distressing or overwhelming that the images, thoughts and feelings may be ‘frozen in time’ and may feel like an undigested, problematic, maladaptively stored memory. EMDR therapy helps the brain reprocess the trapped memories in such a way that normal information processing is resumed. EMDR therapy does not require talking in detail about the distressing issue. By using a technique called bilateral stimulation involving eye movements or tapping to repeatedly activate opposite sides of the brain, the period of sleep referred to as rapid eye movement or REM sleep is mimicked. This portion of sleep is considered to be the time when the mind processes the recent events in the person’s life.
Therapists often use EMDR to help clients uncover and process beliefs that developed as the result of relational traumas or childhood abuse and/or neglect. For a more detailed explanation please visit EMDR Institute, Inc.
What does EMDR help?
EMDR had been originally established as helpful for PTSD, although it’s been proven useful for treatment in the following conditions:
- Panic Attacks
- Complicated Grief
- Dissociative disorders
- Disturbing Memories
- Phobias
- Pain Disorders
- Performance Anxiety
- Addictions
- Stress Reduction
- Sexual and/or Physical Abuse
- Body Dysmorphophobic Disorders
- Personality Disorders
To learn more about EMDR, please click on this link:
None of the above symptoms or experiences fit you?
Do you experience distressing emotions that appear to you, and perhaps to others, to be excessive given the current situation? Do you tend to be highly reactive to certain triggers? Do you struggle with one or more dysfunctional beliefs about yourself that you know isn’t true on an intellectual level?
If so, you may still be a good candidate for EMDR therapy.