EMDR THERAPY
When we think of trauma, we tend to think of combat violence, natural disasters, and other cataclysmic events. But the truth is that trauma can be much subtler than that. There are many ordinary, common experiences that can lead to trauma, including divorce, chronic illness, neglect, and toxic relationships. All of these experiences can impact the way we show up in the world, creating emotional wounds that leave us feeling vulnerable and scared.
EMDR, which stands for Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing, is a form of therapy that can help you heal these emotional wounds so that the past does not continue feeling so present in your life. If you want to go deeper than ordinary talk therapy and unburden the difficult emotions, negative beliefs, and tension that’s held in your mind and body, EMDR may be right for you. Because of how it gets right to the source of trauma, this remarkable approach allows for quick relief and long-lasting transformation.
What Is EMDR Therapy?
What Makes EMDR Therapy So Effective?
EMDR therapy has been thoroughly researched and shown to have positive effects on trauma, anxiety, depression, and other stress-related issues that are linked to distressing experiences. Roughly 84 to 90 percent of single-incident trauma survivors have no more PTSD symptoms after just three EMDR sessions; for those with repeated or multiple-incident trauma, approximately 77 percent have no more symptoms after six sessions (1).
Studies have also found EMDR to be more effective in treating trauma than Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), since EMDR doesn’t require the client to talk out loud in order to heal (2). It's no surprise, then, that EMDR is considered the gold standard of trauma counseling by the American Psychiatric Association, Department of Defense, and World Health Organization (3).
At Dr. Ann Marie Semich Counseling Group, clients often seek out EMDR after years of talk therapy that did not produce the results they were looking for. Due to the deeper nature of EMDR, our clients can dig down beneath the surface and make new discoveries about themselves and their life experiences. These new discoveries are processed in a way that reveals fresh insights and produces healthier perspectives, enabling them to live with more confidence and peace of mind.
How Does EMDR Therapy Work?
At the beginning of the EMDR process, we will focus on creating a strong therapeutic relationship and equipping you with skills and resources for staying grounded throughout treatment. Depending on what works best for you, we may practice meditation, visualization, breathing exercises, and other mindfulness techniques for calming your central nervous system.
Once you are feeling grounded, we will identify any deeply-held negative beliefs about yourself or others, such as “I’m not good enough,” “I’m not safe,” or “People can’t be trusted.” Next, we’ll identify the difficult emotions and past experiences that go with these beliefs.
With our guidance, you will begin processing these experiences and beliefs with bilateral stimulation, using handheld tappers to create alternating vibrations in your hands. These vibrations activate both sides of the brain, which helps speed up the work of trauma reprocessing and the release of negative emotions and beliefs.
Once your experiences have been reprocessed, you can install more helpful beliefs like “I’m good enough” or “There are many people I can trust.” You can make a shift in the way you see yourself and your environment. And as sessions wrap up, your therapist will be there to assist in providing calming exercises to help regulate any remaining stress, leaving you feeling grounded and renewed.
How Can EMDR Therapy Practically Benefit Your Life?
EMDR therapy can provide you with a newfound self-awareness of where many of your negative beliefs, emotions, and behaviors come from. This self-awareness invites a deeper understanding and acceptance of yourself and your experiences, which can help you:
Regulate stress
Reduce obsessive thinking
Build self-confidence
Increase your sense of trust
Be less jumpy or irritated
Function better at work and home
People often say, “Don’t sweat the small stuff” and EMDR can help you embody this phrase. After treatment is done, challenges can seem less overwhelming. You can feel more unburdened, with a clearer path forward and a better sense of empowerment. With this new perspective and a noticeable decline in emotional reactivity, your relationships can improve and flourish, paving the way for securer, more trusting connections.
With EMDR, You Don’t Have To Keep Living In The Shadow Of The Past
Almost all of our therapists are trained in EMDR therapy and have many years of experience using this model. We have embraced EMDR due to the results that we’ve seen in our clients. Not only that, but we have experienced the liberating power of EMDR therapy for ourselves, so we feel very fortunate to be able to offer an approach that has such a profound impact on people's lives.
If you want to release painful emotions and experience the liberating power of EMDR in your own life, we encourage you to connect with us by filling out our contact form. We look forward to taking this journey of healing and empowerment with you!
https://www.emdr.com/what-is-emdr/
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3951033/
https://www.emdr.com/what-is-emdr/
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