EMDR, or Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing is a powerful type of therapy that is very fast, effective, and deeply healing. EMDR can bring about healing much faster than regular talk therapy. It's kind of like therapy at warp speed!
Initially EMDR was used primarily for trauma, but now is being successfully used for a wide variety of concerns.
A lot of research has been done on EMDR. For more info click HERE
EMDR
Some of the issues I use EMDR for include:
-
Trauma
-
Disturbing memories
-
Emotional eating, body image
-
Negative beliefs about oneself (i.e. "I'm not good enough)
-
Self-sabotage
-
Recovering from a difficult childhood
-
Processing strong emotions like fear, shame, anger, and grief
-
Old mental “tapes” or repeat patterns in thoughts and/or behavior
-
Grief and loss
-
Self-esteem
How does EMDR work?
When someone is very upset or goes through a trauma, their brain doesn’t process information as it usually does and information gets “stuck” in our bodies and nervous system. EMDR uses bilateral (both sides) stimulation of the brain via eye movements, taps, or sounds while mentally focusing on specific thoughts, feelings, or memories. This stimulates both sides of the brain and allows the brain’s natural healing to be unstuck.
EMDR activates the brain’s natural healing and information-processing system. After EMDR, the person is still able to think about whatever was troubling them, but it is significantly less upsetting and loses the emotional "gut punch" feeling. Often people feel freed up and a sense of empowerment, action, or acceptance. Some hypothesize that EMDR works similarly to REM or rapid eye movement sleep, where the eyes move during dreams to help the brain process daily life events.
What is an EMDR session like?
Typically in the beginning of an EMDR session we will spend a few minutes mapping out what we want to accomplish during the session. We’ll work together to choose a target memory or issue for you to think about during the EMDR and we’ll identify any related thoughts (both positive and negative) about yourself that this represents.
During EMDR we’ll do a series of sets of either tapping or eye movements while you think about the target that we picked. Usually sets last about 45 seconds and then we stop and briefly talk about what came to your mind during the set. Often during EMDR people say they think about different aspects of the target memory or the related thoughts, and may feel related emotions. It can feel intense but is so worth it!
EMDR is an incredibly powerful mode of therapy and can be very healing in a variety of situations.
Contact me to talk about if EMDR could help you. More info about the science behind EMDR HERE