What Is EMDR?
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing, EMDR is a therapy that uses bilateral stimulation to help your brain process memories and move them to be stored in long-term memory where they will be less painful to you.
Some clients prefer to use eye movements and some prefer to use tappers that vibrate in their hands for their form of bilateral stimulation. The bilateral stimulation helps your mind process the memories and you can tell the therapist as much or as little as you want about what comes up for you.
With EMDR therapy, you will become less sensitive to these memories as your brain heals itself. You will think about this incident in a different, more adaptive way that will help you change your thoughts and behaviors in ways that are no longer harmful to yourself. Your brain will process things more quickly and your healing will proceed more quickly than with traditional therapy.
For a short introduction to EMDR therapy, watch this video.
You don’t have to live with the pain of past events.
“I feel stuck”
“I think something happened to me to make me feel so bad”
“I keep doing the same thing over and over, knowing I’m going to be hurt”
“I’ve had a lot of therapy, but I don’t feel like I’ve gotten to the root of my problem”
“I don’t know why I feel so bad about myself”
“I’m always anxious”
“I feel sick all the time and the doctors can’t find a reason why”
Trauma of many sizes
When something bad happens to us that we can’t let go, that is trauma. It could be something that would be considered very serious, such as an assault or of being involved in an accident with fatalities. Trauma could come from experiences of abuse or neglect. It could also be daily stressors, such as parental divorce, being bullied, or constant fear.
“It Wasn’t that bad”
Trauma doesn’t have to be horrible for it to affect you. If something happened in the past and you feel like you can’t get past it it’s trauma. You may also feel like you’re re-experiencing this past event even though it may have happened years in the past.
Some people have problems processing trauma and their brain needs help putting it where it belongs. When traumatic memories haven’t been processed, we feel all of the things above and more.
Many people prefer EMDR as there is no homework to do, you don’t have to talk about your trauma in detail or write about it.
EMDR doesn’t require you to remember everything as the goal is not to get you to remember everything. The goal is to process the feelings and negative thoughts that come from the trauma. EMDR works more quickly than traditional talk therapy.
Unresolved trauma can lead to:
Feeling bad about yourself
Feeling unlovable
Depression and anxiety
Relationship problems
Feeling physically ill
Feeling like you aren’t allowed to make mistakes
Having emotions that feel too big
You don’t have to live with the pain of past events.
When something “bad” happens to us, sometimes we have a hard time letting go of it. It always seems to be at the front of our mind, and we have nightmares about it as well as problems trusting people, problems sleeping, and problems concentrating. It feels as if our life has been stolen away.
For some, it just feels like a tickle in the back of their mind that won’t go away. Always uncomfortable when it comes up, but it may not come up too often. You still don’t know how to let it go. Sometimes you try to numb those feelings with alcohol, drugs, food, or something else – but it never really works.
“Triggers,” or people, places, and things that remind you of your trauma can cause a flair up of symptoms. With EMDR people find that triggers no longer have as much power and they can effectively cope with them.
People who have used EMDR for trauma report:
- Memories of the event come less frequently and aren’t as scary
- Fewer nightmares of the trauma
- Less guilt or shame
- Less anxiety or feeling safer
- Improved relationships
- Feeling happier
- Feeling better about themselves
- Feeling more in control of their emotions
- Feeling hope
I Am Not What Happened To Me. I Am What I Choose To Become.
Imagine believing that you are a good and worthwhile person, that what happened to you wasn’t your fault. Or that you don’t always need to be on guard or afraid. I want you to believe in your inner goodness, the fact that you have value, no matter what has happened to you in the past. It’s time for a new beginning.
EMDR could work for you!
Want to feel more in control or your life, your body, your thoughts and your actions? Call me at (225) 366-8606 for a free 15 minute consultation or schedule it here to see if EMDR may be the right treatment for you.
Visit my Trauma page for more information.
To learn more about EMDR, visit the EMDR International Association.
