EMDR

(Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing)

Some thoughts and feelings are recurring nightmares.

Your mind tells you negative thoughts that like to happen on repeat, like, “I am never going to change.”

Those thoughts frequently occur after an urge to think about or do something that you have felt finally free of thinking about or doing.

Like a buy-one-get-one deal, those thoughts can create a nagging sensation in your body that feels heavy, tight, or all-consuming.

If you relate to dealing with recurring negative thoughts, unwanted behaviors, or overwhelming sensations in your body related to shame or guilt, there is hope.

Put trauma behind you.

EMDR is a scientifically proven therapeutic technique that provides relief. The Eye Movement part of the name refers to “bilateral stimulation,” where a therapist guides a client through eye movements, tones, or taps.

Desensitization and Reprocessing describe the experience of storing trauma memories differently in the brain. This reprocessing allows one to know that the trauma experience is in the past and one is in the present.

What can EMDR help address?

The range of problems this treatment can help with is broad. It enables you to deal with negative feelings, thoughts, and behaviors you wish didn’t exist.

With EMDR, feelings and thoughts that create guilt, shame, or fear can be left behind once and for all.

Perhaps you have urges to behave irrationally, even though you know it’s not what you want for yourself and life. EMDR helps you replace those urges with more positive behaviors.

EMDR provides a gentle approach to stubborn issues.

I use the SAFE EMDR approach (Safety and Attachment-Focused EMDR). This gentle, compassionate approach ensures you are always within a window of tolerance.

This approach prevents retraumatizing as we expose and bring healing to where the root of these thoughts, feelings, and behaviors come from.

Here are some examples of how EMDR has been helpful.

Sally’s* past trauma made mothering challenging.

Sally struggled with flashbacks of her childhood, nightmares of sexual abuse, and overall rage. She would notice her irritability most when home with her small children during the day.

For 3-4 sessions, we started building the proper structure before starting EMDR sessions. This preparation phase focused on practicing techniques that helped Sally stay present mentally and emotionally while recalling how past events made her feel in her body.

Once prepared, we moved into processing. During processing sessions, Sally felt supported by the techniques she practiced in the preparation sessions, allowing her to express deep feelings that she had been unable to access while striving to survive and not lose her cool with her kids.

Sally reported finding a deep calm on the other side of those feelings. Although she still feels those past experiences are there, they no longer create intense sensations in her body, even when she recalls them. Now, she can parent from a calm place during the day, no longer having nightmares, and can think of her family members without intense rage and fear in her mind or body.

Bradley* had difficulty establishing trust – with himself and others.

Bradley has a history of ADHD and has worked hard to establish a career for himself. Occasionally and cyclically, he gets very drunk and has random hookups. In relationships, Bradley is very dismissive or jealous. He knows that his behavior is not rational or healthy but feels out of control of the urges to drink more or to shut down emotionally when he is in a relationship.

The idea of experiencing his emotions in his body was new to him, and it took time to create his ability to experience the sensations in his body when he could identify in his mind that he was angry, sad, frustrated, or annoyed. Part of the prep work included identifying how he handled stress, and we were able to determine that he emotionally shuts down or becomes very angry when he starts to feel sad.

By learning coping skills in our processing sessions, Bradley became empowered to respond to stress. As a result, I could help him stay within the window of tolerance, allowing him not to shut down emotionally or become flooded by anger.

During processing sessions, he learned to connect body sensations to access and experience sadness in his body. After reprocessing early memories with an adult perspective, Bradley felt pride in surviving difficult experiences at a very young age. Now, he can set boundaries with people and experiences that trigger a negative response. As a result, he drinks less, has improved self-esteem, reduced jealousy, and is more trustful of people.

Let’s get some relief and a new perspective.

Using EMDR, you will believe more positive, authentic, and hopeful thoughts about yourself and others.

You’ll experience more joy in your life and have peace about the past and future. I hope you’ll use this fantastic process to give yourself the gift of hope.

Request to schedule an appointment today!

*These are fictitious names and scenarios used only to illustrate real-life situations.