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What is EMDR?
Eye Movement Desensitization & Reprocessing (EMDR) is an evidence-based treatment for trauma/PTSD, Adjustment Disorder, grief, anxiety, substance use, shame, and many other concerns.
Unlike traditional therapy modalities, EMDR is an experiential therapy rather than a talk therapy. It uses eye movement or other bilateral (both sides of the body/brain) stimulation to help reduce distress and heal from painful or traumatic experiences.
How does it work?
EMDR works based on the idea that our brains can heal from injury just like our bodies heal wounds. When we’ve experienced something traumatic or psychologically/emotionally overwhelming, our brain can have difficulty processing, and it gets “stuck” and unhealed; this can leave the person feeling anxious, on-edge, distressed, etc. EMDR helps our brain to access its natural healing process to heal those injuries and reduce distress.
EMDR uses bilateral stimulation to activate both sides of the brain. This bilateral stimulation can be in the form of eye movement, listening to a sound that plays in one ear then the other, or using a “tapper” which is a device with a pod for each hand that vibrates in one hand then the other.
In an EMDR session, your therapist will guide you to focus on a distressing memory or experience while using the bilateral stimulation to help your brain process it and heal.
Many studies have found EMDR to be an effective treatment for emotional distress.
What to expect in an EMDR session:
Safety and support
Guided reprocessing
Preparation and grounding tools
And often the purrs and snores of the resident cat, Mouse.
What can EMDR help with?
Trauma/PTSD
Anxiety
Shame
Substance Use/Addiction
Shame & low self-worth
Recent or past distress
Distressing life events
Feeling triggered in daily life