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EMDR stands for Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing. EMDR is an evidence-based integrative psychotherapy approach that alleviates or greatly reduces emotional distress attached to disturbing memories. It is a powerful approach to psychotherapy that promotes rapid healing from emotional distress. Originally it was performed with the therapist moving her/his hand in from of your face while your eyes follow it right and left.  Now we frequently use light bars or sound and pulses to achieve the same effect.  That effect is to engage both sides of your brain.  Why both sides of the brain?  Trauma is stored in many regions of the brain which are sometimes not accessible otherwise. Another benefit of EMDR, it reduces the defense mechanisms thereby making it easier to get to the roots of the distress. With EMDR, we are able to excavate all parts of the trauma and replace it with a new understanding or experience and desensitize the associated pain and discomfort.  

 

According to EMDRIA.org:  “Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) therapy is an extensively researched, effective psychotherapy method proven to help people recover from trauma and other distressing life experiences, including PTSD, anxiety, depression, and panic disorders.”

 

When individuals are traumatized or have an upsetting experience, or possibly even repeated failures, they lose a sense of manageability over their lives. The  result can be symptoms of anxiety, depression, irritability, anger, guilt, and/or behavioral problems. Or it can result in other symptoms such as a failure to succeed, apathy, and isolation. Even common upsetting events such as divorce, work problems, peer difficulties, failures, and family problems can deeply affect an individual's sense of security, self-esteem, and development. 

 

It is a comprehensive and powerful therapeutic protocol which relieves many forms of psychological discomfort stored inside your body, nervous system and brain. It involves an 8 phase approach to reprocess the traumatic information. Those phases are:  history taking, client preparation, assessment, desensitization, installation, body scan, closure and reevaluation of treatment effect. 

 

This past trauma, PTSD, unresolved grief and anxiety subconsciously sabotage your current life experience thus reducing your quality of life. 

 

EMDR is a process which I highly recommend as it has shown such effective results. With EMDR, I have been able to treat hundreds, maybe thousands, of clients with PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder), sexual abuse histories (and other traumatic events), panic disorders and grief .  EMDR is a relatively quick, efficient and extremely powerful form of psychotherapy.

 

These are the most frequently asked questions about EMDR.

 

Is EMDR painful?

 

The emotional pain you carry with you affects you on a daily basis whether you know it or not.  I compare it to the story of a man with a thorn in his leg.  He decides to live with it rather than going through the hassle of getting it removed. He gets used to the pain.  And he spends his life avoiding anything which can irritate the area.  He is careful of where he walks, the clothes he wears, the people he interacts with, etc. He orchestrates his life around the thorn.  It is exhausting.  Even if you are not aware you are doing this, if you have unresolved trauma you have learned adaption techniques the keep a lid on it.  You don’t even know how tired your arm is from putting pressure on that lid. So is EMDR painful?  Not compared to the daily avoidance techniques you have unconsciously implemented.  And EMDR may be painful for a period of time, usually less than an hour, but afterward you walk free. No more avoiding that pain.   

 

How long will it take?

 

There is not one answer to this question. What I normally tell someone is that I can give them a rough/approximate answer to this question after the initial evaluation. Treatment can be very quick, however, the number of sessions will vary, according to the complexity of the issues being dealt with. After an EMDR session, there may be a marked sense of relief, also a little fatigue but healing too. EMDR therapy is cost effective, requiring fewer sessions than traditional therapy. Relief from at least some of the emotional distress often comes within the first few sessions.

 

What can EMDR Therapy treat?

 

• Anxiety, panic attacks, and phobias

• Chronic Illness, pain, complications

• Depression and mood disorders

• Grief and loss

• Dissociative disorders

• Eating disorders, substance abuse, addiction

  • including nicotine, gambling, porn and others

• Performance anxiety

• Personality disorders

• PTSD and other trauma and stress-related issues

  • Sexual assault/abuse

 

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How effective is EMDR Therapy?

 

Repeated studies show that by using EMDR therapy people can experience the benefits of psychotherapy that previously took years to make a difference. It is widely assumed that severe emotional pain requires a long time to heal. EMDR therapy shows that the mind can in fact heal from psychological trauma similarly to how the body recovers from physical trauma. When you cut your hand, your body works to close the wound. If an irritant is still in place or it is repeatedly ripped open then the healing is thwarted. When the block is removed, healing can happen. EMDR therapy demonstrates that a similar sequence of events occurs with mental processes. The brain’s information processing system naturally moves toward mental health. If the system is blocked or imbalanced by the impact of a disturbing event, the emotional wound festers and will cause suffering. Once the block is removed, healing can happen. EMDR practitioners  help clients engage their naturally occurring healing processes.

 

Can I still receive therapy from my current therapist and receive EMDR from you?

 

Yes, I have worked side by side with many area therapists to help their clients.  Talk to your therapist about this and you contact me. After the initial paperwork is signed, I will coordinate with your therapist on your care plan.

 

What if my trauma isn’t that bad?

 

Trauma literally means “wound, injury, or shock”. A single event trauma is also known as a “shock trauma”. As a trauma therapist, we often talk about big T traumas and little t traumas. A big T trauma is either a single traumatic incident, life changing or a series of ongoing big traumatic experiences.  Some examples of big T traumas are rape, war effects, childhood sexual abuse and physical abuse, victim of a crime, major accidents or any other life threatening event. Big T traumas can sometimes be easiest to process because they are undeniable. Little t traumas can be a series of traumatic events appearing less damaging over time or a one-time trauma which impacted you more subtly.  An example is a car accident where nobody got hurt but you are left with an apprehension/fear when driving. Other examples are childhood neglect and verbal abuse, bullying, watching domestic abuse and grief.  Little t traumas are not usually identified as trauma but called “life events’ by clients.  

 

I am fully trained to treat adults who have experienced any type of trauma or traumatic event with the use of EMDR therapy. I have also successfully treated phobias, anxiety issues, grief and loss issues, mood disorders, and substance use disorders. 

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