EMDR Therapy
What is EMDR?
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) therapy is a highly regarded and extensively researched therapeutic approach specifically designed to assist individuals in recovering from trauma and navigating distressing life experiences. This evidence-based method has demonstrated effectiveness in addressing a wide range of psychological challenges, including Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), generalized anxiety disorder, depression, and panic disorders.
EMDR therapy operates within the framework of psychotherapy and is grounded in the understanding that traumatic memories and distressing experiences can become deeply ingrained in the brain's neural pathways, contributing to ongoing emotional distress and interference with daily functioning. Through the utilization of bilateral stimulation techniques such as eye movements or taps, EMDR therapy aims to activate the brain's innate capacity for adaptive information processing and resolution of traumatic memories.
The core objective of EMDR therapy is to facilitate the comprehensive processing of traumatic experiences that have been contributing to the individual's psychological distress and impairing their ability to lead a fulfilling life. By systematically targeting and reprocessing these distressing memories, individuals can experience a reduction in the frequency and intensity of intrusive symptoms, disruptive emotions, and unwanted physiological responses associated with the trauma.
By addressing the underlying roots of trauma-related symptoms and integrating these distressing memories into the individual's broader narrative, EMDR therapy empowers individuals to navigate their daily lives with increased resilience, emotional stability, and adaptive coping skills. Through this transformative process, individuals can cultivate a greater sense of emotional well-being, enhance their overall quality of life, and regain a sense of agency over their thoughts, emotions, and behaviors.
Who Can benefit from EMDR?
EMDR is beneficial for children, teens, and adults. EMDR can address a wide range of concerns:
anxiety,
phobias,
panic attacks,
chronic illness,
medical issues,
depression,
bipolar disorder,
dissociative disorders,
eating disorders,
grief and loss,
pain,
performance anxiety,
personality disorders,
PTSD,
other trauma,
sexual assault,
sleep disturbance,
substance abuse,
addiction,
violence, and
abuse.
EXPERIENCING EMDR.
EMDR therapy works by helping individuals access and process traumatic or distressing memories in a safe and controlled environment. Bilateral stimulation is used to help the brain reprocess these memories, reducing their emotional charge and allowing for more adaptive resolution.
A typical EMDR session lasts 60 minutes. You and your therapist will work together to identify which experiences you want to “process”. “Processing” is not talking about your traumatic experience, it’s ‘filing it away’ or ‘digesting’ the experience in your brain so that it is not easily activated throughout your day.
Some sessions may look like ‘talk therapy’, while others will be spent in processing using a form of bilateral stimulation (such as eye movement or tappers).
