EMDR
According to EMDRIA, “EMDR is a structured therapy that encourages the patient to briefly focus on the trauma memory while simultaneously experiencing bilateral stimulation (typically eye movements), which is associated with a reduction in the vividness and emotion associated with the trauma memories. Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) therapy is an extensively researched, effective psychotherapy method proven to help people recover from trauma and PTSD symptoms. Ongoing research supports positive clinical outcomes showing EMDR therapy as a helpful treatment for disorders such as anxiety, depression, OCD, chronic pain, addictions, and other distressing life experiences.”
What is EMDR Therapy?
EMDR can treat a variety of struggles including:
anxiety, panic attacks, and phobias
chronic illness and medical issues
eating disorders
grief and loss
pain
performance anxiety
self-esteem issues
personality disorders
depression and bipolar disorders
single event PTSD, complex PTSD, attachment trauma, and developmental trauma
dissociative disorders
stress-related issues
sexual assault
sleep disturbance
addiction and substance abuse
violence and abuse
How does EMDR therapy impact the brain?
According to EMDRIA: “Our brains have a natural way to recover from traumatic memories and events. This process involves communication between the amygdala (the alarm signal for stressful events), the hippocampus (which assists with learning, including memories about safety and danger), and the prefrontal cortex (which analyzes and controls behavior and emotion). While many times traumatic experiences can be managed and resolved spontaneously, they may not be processed without help.
Stress responses are part of our natural fight, flight, or freeze instincts. When distress from a disturbing event remains, the upsetting images, thoughts, and emotions may create an overwhelming feeling of being back in that moment, or of being “frozen in time.” EMDR therapy helps the brain process these memories, and allows normal healing to resume. The experience is still remembered, but the fight, flight, or freeze response from the original event is resolved.”
