EMDR
(Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing)
What is EMDR?
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) is a research-supported, integrative psychotherapy approach designed to treat symptoms of trauma and post-traumatic stress. EMDR can help resolve painful trauma, memories, and life experiences and emotional distress faster than traditional talk therapy and utilizes the natural healing ability of your body.
Sometimes events happen in a person’s life and they may struggle to find a way to integrate and process that incident. One moment becomes “stuck or frozen in time,” and remembering an event that was overwhelming and/or traumatic may feel as bad as going through it the first time because the images, sounds, smells, sensations, and feelings associated with that event have not changed. Such memories have a lasting negative effect that interferes with the way a person sees the world and the way they relate to other people. Due to this experience, information is stored in separate areas of the brain, and when triggered, is experienced as intrusive thoughts, and/or feelings, flashbacks, nightmares, and other related symptoms and can cause a person great emotional distress and can lead to distressing symptoms and behaviors.
When a person is held back from doing things they would like to do by feelings of insecurity, fear, anxiety, or unremitting sadness, or is pushed into doing things that are not useful — such as overreacting to people or situations — the reason can generally be found in the memory networks. EMDR seems to have a direct effect on the way that the brain processes information. After EMDR processing, clients generally report they can remember what happened, but it is less upsetting and they do not have the same emotional intensity or physiological symptoms that it may have previously been associated with the memory.
EMDR is effective not only for trauma, but has been shown to be successful in helping clients deal with the following issues as well: Addictive Behaviors, Depression and other mood disorders, Anxiety and Panic Attacks, Loss and Grief, Anger, Emotional Eating, Stress Management, Procrastination/avoidance behaviors, Self-esteem improvement, Childhood trauma, Overwhelming fears, Car accident, Natural Disaster, Illness, Medical Trauma, and Insomnia.
For more information, you can check out www.emdria.org, Introduction to EMDR Therapy, Animation to explain EMDR and trauma, Getting Past Your Past.