What is EMDR Therapy?
EMDR Therapy is a powerful evidence-based therapy that helps people to become unstuck from trauma and painful life experiences that continue to negatively impact them today. EMDR Therapy is a somatic, or body-based, therapy that incorporates the understanding that trauma lives not only in the brain, but in the body itself. This therapy is done by utilizing elements of talk therapy combined with Bilateral Stimulation (usually eye movements or vibrating hand-held tappers) that activates both hemispheres of the brain in a back-and-forth pattern. This brings about a natural healing effect that reduces the vividness and emotion connected to the trauma or painful event. EMDR Therapy has been found to be effective in treating a number of issues including Trauma and PTSD, Depression, Anxiety, OCD, Chronic Pain, Substance Use Disorders, and other distressing life events.
What makes EMDR Therapy different from other therapies?
EMDR Therapy, as mentioned above, is a body-based therapy and thus is considered a “bottom up” therapy, meaning that it starts with the body’s physiological and sensory aspects of distress, rather than directly focusing on cognitive or emotional processing. In addressing how the brain and body stores trauma first, we are able to make changes that then trickle down into your “emotion mind” and then your “logic mind.” Big shifts can happen that help your nervous system to relax and default to a more calm and peaceful resting state, rather than the default of being in fight or flight. Plus, the emphasis is on the natural healing of the brain and body rather than trying to directly shift thinking or behavior. Though, healthier thinking and more positive behavior will be some of the outcomes of EMDR Therapy and of your brain being healed. This therapy is also faster than traditional talk therapy. Because we are addressing pain at its source, many people who do EMDR Therapy will require fewer sessions of therapy than they would have with other approaches.
I am an EMDR Therapist Certified by the International Association for EMDR Therapy (EMDRIA).
This great video provides a brief overview of what EMDR Therapy is. https://youtu.be/AAjkdkHlzYY?si=fbdAL6rAJDtVuqnX
