EMDR

EMDR stands for Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing. It is a powerful method of psychotherapy. To date, EMDR, has helped an estimated two million people of all ages relieve many types of psychological distress. No one knows how any form of psychotherapy works neurobiologically or in the brain. However, we do know that when a person is very upset, their brain cannot process information as it does ordinarily. One moment becomes “frozen in time,” and remembering a trauma may feel as bad as going through it the first time because the images, sounds, smells and feelings, have not changed. Such memories have a lasting negative effect that interferes with the way a person sees the world and the way they relate to other people. EMDR allows normal processing to resume, so following a successful EMDR session, a person no longer relives the images, sounds, and feelings when the event is brought to mind. You still remember what happened, but it is less upsetting and a person sees the disturbing material in a new and less distressing way.

EXCELLENT Information! Find out more about EMDR. Also:

• How EMDR Opens a Window to the Brain with Creator Francine Shapiro
• EMDR: Research Prompts Acceptance | New England Psychologist
• EMDR Therapy on Scoopit Community

During an EMDR session the client will recall a disturbing issue. The therapist facilitates the directional movement of the eyes or other dual attention stimulation of the brain while the client focuses on the disturbing material, and the client just notices whatever comes to mind without making any effort to control direction or content. Sets of eye movements are continued until the memory becomes less disturbing and is associated with positive thoughts and beliefs about one’s self; for example, “I did the best I could.” During EMDR, the client may experience intense emotions, but by the end of the session, most people report a great reduction in the level of disturbance. EMDR has been reported to be successful for: panic attacks, complicated grief, disturbing memories, phobias, pain disorders, performance anxiety, stress reduction, addictions, sexual and/or physical abuse and body dysmorphic disorders.

What is EMDR Therapy?

Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) therapy is an integrative psychotherapy approach that has been extensively researched and proven effective for the treatment of trauma. EMDR is a set of standardized protocols that incorporates elements from different treatment approaches.

How does EMDR work?

EMDR therapy is an integrative psychotherapy and uses a technique called bilateral stimulation to repeatedly activate opposite sides of the brain. Therapists often use eye movements to facilitate the bilateral stimulation. These eye movements mimic the period of sleep referred to as rapid eye movement or REM sleep, and this portion of sleep is frequently considered to be the time when the mind processes the recent events in the person’s life.

EMDR seems to help the brain reprocess the trapped memories is such a way that normal information processing is resumed. Therapists often use EMDR to help clients uncover and process beliefs that developed as the result relational traumas or childhood abuse and/or neglect. For a more detailed explanation please visit EMDR Institute, Inc.

What does EMDR help?

EMDR had been originally established as helpful for PTSD, although it’s been proven useful for treatment in the following conditions:

• Panic Attacks
• Complicated Grief
• Dissociative Orders
• Disturbing Memories
• Phobias
• Pain Disorders
• Performance Anxiety
• Addictions
• Stress Reduction
• Sexual and/or Physical Abuse
• Body Dysmorphic Disorders
• Personality Disorders

None of the above symptoms or experiences fit you?

Do you experience distressing emotions that appear to you, and perhaps to others, to be excessive given the current situation? Do you tend to be highly reactive to certain triggers? Is there one or more dysfunctional belief that you believe about yourself that on an intellectual level you know is not true?

If so, you may still be a good candidate for EMDR therapy.