About EMDR Therapy

"We know that when a person is very upset, their brain cannot process information as it does ordinarily. One moment becomes "frozen in time," and remembering a trauma may feel as bad as going through it the first time because the images, sounds, smells, and feelings haven’t changed. Such memories have a lasting negative effect that interferes with the way a person sees the world and the way they relate to other people." - EMDRIA (https://emdria.site-ym.com/?119)

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EMDR (Eye-Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing), is an evidenced-based therapy which directly effects the way the brain processes information. Normal information processing is returned following a successful EMDR session, a client will notice that the initial "charge of the situation" has reduced. While therapy cannot change what has happened to you, it does work to help you feel better about what has happened. After EMDR Therapy the feelings, negative beliefs, sounds, and images associated with the event are reduced. You still remember what happened, but it is less upsetting. EMDR appears to simulate what occurs naturally during dream/REM (rapid eye movement) sleep. During this time, the eyes move back and forth in the head and appear to "chomp up" all the data collected, however, the worst events in our lives often get stuck and need more support to successfully process. EMDR focuses on your feelings, thoughts, and body sensations. It goes deeper than other therapeutic modalities, however, it incorporates many other techniques. It has been proven to help clients change how they feel about the distressing events in their lives and thus provide them with improved sense of well-being.

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"The amount of time the complete treatment will take depends upon the history of the client. Complete treatment of the targets involves a three pronged protocol (1-past memories, 2-present disturbance, 3-future actions), and are needed to alleviate the symptoms and address the complete clinical picture. The goal of EMDR is to process completely the experiences that are causing problems, and to include new ones that are needed for full health. "Processing" does not mean talking about it. "Processing" means setting up a learning state that will allow experiences that are causing problems to be "digested" and stored appropriately in your brain. That means that what is useful to you from an experience will be learned, and stored with appropriate emotions in your brain, and be able to guide you in positive ways in the future. The inappropriate emotions, beliefs, and body sensations will be discarded. Negative emotions, feelings and behaviors are generally caused by unresolved earlier experiences that are pushing you in the wrong directions. The goal of EMDR therapy is to leave you with the emotions, understanding, and perspectives that will lead to healthy and useful behaviors and interactions." -https://emdria.site-ym.com/?120