EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) is a psychotherapy that enables people to heal from the symptoms and emotional distress that are the result of disturbing life experiences. 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 much as the body recovers from physical trauma. When you cut your hand, your body works to close the wound. If a foreign object or repeated injury irritates the wound, it festers and causes pain. Once the block is removed, healing resumes. 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 can cause intense suffering. Once the block is removed, healing resumes.
More than 30 positive controlled outcome studies have been done on EMDR therapy. Some of the studies show that 84%-90% of single-trauma victims no longer have post-traumatic stress disorder after only three 90-minute sessions. Another study, funded by the HMO Kaiser Permanente, found that 100% of the single-trauma victims and 77% of multiple trauma victims no longer were diagnosed with PTSD after only six 50-minute sessions. In another study, 77% of combat veterans were free of PTSD in 12 sessions. There has been so much research on EMDR therapy that it is now recognized as an effective form of treatment for trauma and other disturbing experiences by organizations such as the American Psychiatric Association, The World Health Organization and the Department of Defense. Given the worldwide recognition as an effective treatment of trauma, you can easily see how EMDR therapy would be effective in treating the “everyday” memories that are the reason people have low self-esteem, feelings of powerlessness, and all the myriad problems that bring them in for therapy. Over 100,000 clinicians throughout the world use the therapy. Millions of people have been treated successfully over the past 25 years.
Before beginning EMDR, I will teach you coping skills and strategies to feel safe and grounded, increase your resiliency, and help you learn to self-regulate your emotions.
Once you’re prepared, you’ll identify negative feelings and beliefs that you may have developed as a result of the trauma you experienced. For example, you may hold a belief that you are unlovable, experience disturbing thoughts or images, or feel uncomfortable physical sensations in your body.
The EMDR process helps you to release the impact of trauma from your mind and body so that you can feel stronger, safer, and more secure.
What is Trauma?
Many people experience some form of trauma in their life, some without recognizing their experience or symptoms as traumatic. Psychological trauma is the result of extraordinarily stressful events that shatter your sense of security and result in you feeling helpless, alone and vulnerable in a dangerous world. When we experience traumatic stress, it impacts our brains physiologically, which in turn impacts our behavior, mood, and physiology.
There are major events that most think of when hearing the word trauma: physical or sexual abuse, war, natural disaster. However, what is often overlooked is what is referred to as “little t” trauma.
The key in trauma is your experience and not the severity of the event. If you were a child, if it occurred by a caregiver, or how long the experience lasted can impact the severity of “little t” trauma for you personally. Examples of “little t” trauma include:
- Ongoing emotional abuse/neglect
- Being bullied or ridiculed
- Experiences of shame, being left out
- Feeling not cared for, rejected
- Sports or other physical injuries
- Loss or death of someone/something very close
- Car accident
- Childhood medical or developmental issues
How Do I Know if I Need EMDR Therapy?
You may experience Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) or you might just notice the following impact of painful experiences in your life. EMDR therapy can offer relief and healing from these symptoms and is an effective treatment for PTSD.
Signs of PTSD?
- Hypervigilance: feeling on alert to everything (and everyone) in your surroundings
- Upsetting or negative emotions
- Feeling “stuck” or “frozen”EMDR therapy can offer relief from symptoms of PTSD and trauma.
- Feeling disconnected or numb
- Anxiety / panic attacks
- Unexplained medical complications
- Physical “tightness” in the muscles (clenched jaw, tight shoulders)
- Confusion, difficulty concentrating
- Feeling “unsafe”
- Withdrawing from others
- Anger, irritability, mood swings
- Obsessive thinking
- Intrusive thoughts/distressing memories/flashbacks
- Feeling “spaced out”
- Negative beliefs
- Chronic pain
Rather than struggling with these symptoms, EMDR therapy can help you process and let go of your traumatic experience. Letting go means having more energy for living your life with greater freedom and ease. It means letting go of fear, shame, restless nights, and building greater confidence.
Many people who have experienced any form of trauma develop a very normal way of coping by blocking out or repressing particularly painful negative memories. Unfortunately, over time, these traumatic memories may rise to the surface in disturbing ways. Or the impact of the experience may show up via symptoms such as the ones in the list above or in PTSD.
Will I Have to Revisit Painful Memories or Experiences?
EMDR seeks to help you relieve the disturbance resulting from traumatic experiences. One way this is accomplished is by briefly recalling a vivid memory while engaging in EMDR processing via eye movements, bilateral sound or taps. This process continues until there is no distress when recalling the memory.
You don’t have to discuss the details and it’s very important not to relive the experience. I will guide you through this process making sure you feel safe and secure throughout.
It’s not necessary to dig up buried memories to start the process of healing. Furthermore, the goal of EMDR therapy is to reduce the disturbance of painful memories. You will be guided safely through a process of healing at a pace that feels safe and comfortable for you.
It’s not necessary to have painful or buried memories for EMDR to be effective. You can also process current situations that cause emotional stress.
What if I Don’t Remember Any Specific Trauma?
You don’t need to recall a specific incident for EMDR to be effective. If you resonate with the symptoms of trauma, you can begin by exploring your history to identify a particular feeling that stands out to you the most.
From there, what needs to surface and process may emerge and I will guide you through anything that might be stuck.
How Long Does EMDR Therapy Last?
Each person processes trauma in a different way. Initially, your therapist will guide you in building resources to prepare you for the EMDR phase of therapy. Once beginning the EMDR process, you may begin to notice shifts within 3-5 sessions.
Some clients achieve their goals within 8-12 sessions and for those with complex or developmental trauma, it may be longer. EMDR works best when used in conjunction with traditional therapy so you may want additional therapy sessions to process and integrate your experience.
PTSD Treatment with EMDR Can Help You Reclaim Your Life
Research has shown that EMDR effectively decreases the symptoms of post-traumatic stress, anxiety, depression, pain and many other issues for the majority of clients.
If you are ready to begin therapy today, call 856-209-6020 today or email emendingcounseling@gmail.com