"Somewhere along the line, many people have experienced a frightening or troubling incident in their lives, which can be categorized as traumatic."
Experiences such as childhood trauma, being bullied in school, a death in the family, and many others can negatively change our view of ourselves, others, and the world at large, significantly affecting how we feel and act.
When traumatic events happen, our memories often remain unprocessed, becoming a source of emotional pain manifesting as depression, anxiety, anger, and other challenging feelings.
As a result, when we encounter a situation that may trigger the traumatic memory, we may react inappropriately. Think of a stack of unstable blocks where a slight nudge on the top block can cause the collapse of the entire structure.
Rather than only addressing the symptoms, EMDR tackles the original cause of the emotional pain, addressing the problem at its foundation and healing the emotional distress.
Eye Movement Desentsitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) is a type of psychotherapy used to treat childhood trauma, PTSD, anxiety, depression, grief, stress, and more. It is an evidence-based, well-researched therapy that has been shown, especially in the case of trauma, to be more effective, faster-acting, and longer-lasting than most other forms of treatment, including pills, drugs, and stand-alone talk therapy.
EMDR is unique because it integrates sensory stimuli, such as eye movements and other methods, like hand tapping or auditory tones, into the therapy to activate the brain and encourage it to form new connections and improve processing.
Special attention is paid to ensuring that the individual is given resources, such as deep breathing, visualization, and others, to feel safe while utilizing EMDR.
Working with EMDR helps the client transform negative beliefs into positive, more adaptive and realistic ones. Recovery is accelerated simply through a patient's own processing rather than a therapist's interpretations or time spent talking at length about the trauma.
It is a greatly empowering experience. It gives the individuals a newfound lasting sense of confidence established throughout the sessions, knowing they are able to reinterpret their trauma and transform their lives.