EMDR Therapy
EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing Therapy) is a type of therapy that helps a person to process difficult memories to reduce symptoms of anxiety, depression, guilt, anger or post-traumatic reactions. It is a more experiential type of therapy, rather than traditional talk therapy. EMDR recognizes that the body and brain have an innate ability to heal itself.
How it works: The client will choose a difficult situation that they wish to be less affected by and will process this experience in session, while the therapist stimulates both hemispheres of their brain through eye movements, tapping or sounds. The engagement of both hemispheres of the brain allows the client to process the experience differently, so that it is less disturbing to them.
The process does sound strange, and even magical, but there is research that demonstrates its effectiveness. When we experience something traumatic or overwhelming, our primitive brain takes over, sets off the “danger” alarm, and shuts off all higher processing activities of the brain. It essentially goes into survival mode. By revisiting the disturbing experience in session, while intentionally activating both hemispheres of the brain, the individual can keep crucial parts of the brain engaged. The result is that the parts of the brain responsible for learning, feeling and consolidating information remains accessible and can process the experience more fully. The individual processes the experience, with the awareness of when and where it happened, so it no longer feels as disturbing or overwhelming. The links below provide additional information on how EMDR works.