What is Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR)?
EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) is a psychotherapy technique that helps people to heal from symptoms and emotional distress caused by negative life experiences.
Many people have traumatic experiences and do not realize it how it is impacting them. Most can identify big “T” traumas in his/her life, such as being in a war zone, a sexual assault, or debilitating car accident. What we often miss are little “t” traumas, such as emotional neglect, absent parents, daily bullying, hostile work environments, divorce, developmental trauma, etc. These little “t” traumas may have the same negative impact as a big “T” single event trauma. It is death by a thousand cuts. These traumas send you messages about yourself leading you to feel not good enough, dirty, stupid, not worthy, or even unlovable.
Our brain has a natural ability to keep us safe through fight, flight, and freeze responses. This is a wonderful and adaptive process when we are in danger. The problem is when the threat is removed and we can’t flip the switch back in our brains. When someone has a traumatic experience, sometimes that memory gets stuck. This may look like panic attacks when public speaking, persistent negative thoughts about who you are, anxiety that all partners will break your heart, fears that no one can be trusted, and running from emotional pain through drugs, alcohol, and even sex.
EMDR therapy helps the mind heal from psychological trauma much like the body recovers from a physical trauma. If you cut your finger, your body works to close the wound. If dirt or re-injury prevent the cut from healing, it becomes infected and causes pain. Once the wound is cleaned, healing resumes. The EMDR therapy process does this for the brain. We know that the mind naturally tends toward mental health. If that healing system is interrupted by the impact of a disturbing event, the emotional wound does not heal. EMDR is used to remove any roadblock to healing and allows for the brain to fully process those memories. You will still remember those experiences, but they will feel different and not have the same level of negative emotional charge attached to them. Through the protocols and procedures of EMDR therapy, our therapists help clients activate their own natural healing processes.
The EMDR process tends to resolve trauma faster than traditional talk therapy approaches, especially for single event traumas. EMDR can be used to treat PTSD, phobias, panic disorders, anxiety, depression, dissociation, performance anxiety, attachment issues, and social anxiety.
Are you interested in trying EMDR? Call our office to learn more about how we can help you reach your goals.
The following Summit Family Therapy staff have specialty training in EMDR protocols: