EMDR and Trauma Recovery
Learn more about how EMDR and Trauma Therapy and how it can help you move forward.
Why Consider EMDR
Trauma can happen in childhood or adulthood, and often we don’t recognize how harmful these messages are when internalized. Many of us have tapes that play constantly in our minds that are riddled with these unhelpful and untrue beliefs.
EMDR and other body-centered approaches help heal these experiences directly and powerfully. In an EMDR session, a traumatic experience or belief is processed using bilateral stimulation to the body (specifically you would either hold little buzzers, one in each hand or I would tap gently on your knees), which engages both hemispheres of the brain.
The result of this treatment is that the emotional charge associated with the trauma decreases, and is replaced by a more rational, calm, adult view of the experience. For example, a woman who experienced childhood sexual abuse might go from feeling panic and shame when thinking about having sex, and having the belief “I’m damaged,” to having the belief instead that, “I’m fine, it was my abuser who was damaged” and being able to have a healthy sexual relationship.
How it helps
EMDR is a technique that has been in practice for over 25 years and its effectiveness is highly documented in the literature. It is even supported by the government for use with combat veterans with PTSD. Here are a few ways it can help:
- Experience relief from nightmares, flashbacks and dissociation
- Overcome fears (fear of flying, performance anxiety, phobias)
- Let go of limiting beliefs (eg, “I’m not good enough”)
- Learn to trust again and want to connect with people again
- Overcome depression, isolation and anxiety
- Feel safe in the world again
- Develop a healthy sexual relationship
- Find the freedom to express who you really are
- Replace your anxiety and fear with joy and peace