HEARTPRINTS COUNSELING LLC
What is EMDR?
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) therapy is an extensively researched, effective non-drug, non-hypnosis counseling technique proven to help people recover from trauma, loss, and other distressing life experiences, including PTSD, anxiety, depression, and panic disorders. The American Psychiatric Association, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, the U.S. Dept. of Veterans Affairs/Dept. of Defense, and the World Health Organization and many others recognize EMDR as an effective therapy treatment.
How is EMDR different?
What I (and clients) like about EMDR therapy is it does not require talking in great detail about the distressing issue or completing homework between sessions. EMDR involves concentrating on the worst part of a memory while visually following my moving fingers back and forth. This type of eye movement is similar to what occurs during dreaming. This continues until the memory is no longer upsetting. Everyone’s experiences are different. Sometimes a painful memory leads to another. As long as EMDR is not stopped, painful emotions and body sensations typically go away after a few minutes. The pain fades away. Unfortunately, we often avoid painful memories which continue to negatively impact our current functioning. What we do not talk about can have great power over us. As in all therapy, clients can choose what they talk about in session. EMDR can be risky if the therapist is not well trained and trauma informed. There are both medical and mental health competencies that must be in place in order to use EMDR safely and effectively.
EMDR therapy is specifically created to resolve unprocessed traumatic memories, losses and/or future anticipated events causing distress in the brain. EMDR is one of the most cost-effective treatments for trauma and can be used to reduce anxiety, depression, guilt, anger, PTSD symptoms as well as increase self-esteem and confidence. EMDR can be used on all ages.
How does EMDR therapy affect the brain?
Brains have a natural way to recover from traumatic memories and losses. 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 experiences can be managed and resolved easily, others may not be processed without help. That is where EMDR comes in.
Stress responses are part of our body’s natural fight, flight, or freeze instincts. When distress from a disturbing event remains, the upsetting images, thoughts, and emotions may create feelings of being overwhelmed, back in that moment, or of being “frozen in time.” EMDR therapy helps the brain process these memories, and allows normal healing to resume. EMDR does not erase the memory but it reduces the “ouch” of the incident to more manageable levels.
Here is where I was trained:
www.childtrauma.com
For more info on EMDR, check out these websites: