What is EMDR therapy?
Let’s begin by stating EMDR is not your traditional talk therapy.
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) Therapy, developed by Dr. Francine Shapiro in the late 1980s, is a highly focused 8-phased evidenced-based treatment that helps people heal from traumatic and other life-distressing events.
How is EMDR therapy different from other therapies?
EMDR therapy does not require talking in detail about the distressing issue. EMDR therapy, rather than focusing on changing the emotions, thoughts, or behaviors resulting from the distressing issues, allows the brain to resume its own natural healing process.
EMDR therapy is designed to resolve unprocessed traumatic memories in the brain. For many clients, EMDR therapy can be completed in fewer sessions than other psychotherapies.
How does EMDR therapy affect the brain?
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 a 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 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.
What can EMDR therapy treat?
EMDR Therapy has been successful in treating many problems such as:
- Post-Traumatic Disorder
- Traumatic Events such as Childhood Trauma
- Anxiety / Panic Attacks
- Depression
- Physical and Emotional Abuse
- Complicated Grief
- Sexual Abuse
- Women’s Issues
- and more
Benefits of EMDR therapy
- Relief from distressing symptoms
- Feeling more joy and peace in life
- Letting go of past hurts
- Learning to love yourself
What to expect during an EMDR therapy session
Are you curious about what EMDR therapy sessions are like? CLICK HERE to learn more.
What is EMDR Intensive therapy?
EMDR Intensive Therapy is a brief intensive treatment for busy women who want to expedite or “jump start” treatment outcomes. Multiple EMDR Therapy sessions are incorporated into a condensed period of time. You can learn more about EMDR Intensive Therapy here.
Are you reading for healing?
It’s time to feel understood and heard. Let’s get started by requesting an initial appointment for EMDR Therapy.
References: The EMDR Institute, EMDRIA.org