Integrative Method: EMDR
EMDR, or Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing, is an extensively researched psychotherapy tool used to help people heal from the emotional distress that can be the result of disturbing life experiences. EMDR is an incredible tool that proves how the brain and body can work together to heal. By tending to the past, present and future, it allows people to remove blocks and imbalances that prevent them from moving forward, and to activate their natural healing processes. After building resources for safely tolerating the processing of difficult memories, EMDR aims to allow people to regain their power from wounds that interrupted daily living with intrusive thoughts, feelings, and therefore find peace through this therapeutic process.
Traditional talk therapy often requires some time for clients to explore and process traumatic events. EMDR can more quickly help clients transform the meaning of painful events on an emotional level, shifting from feelings of self-disgust and overwhelm by inadequacy, to “I am strong and I survived it.” Through EMDR, clients can gain insight through their own accelerated intellectual and emotional processes.
EMDR incorporates the following techniques:
Creating a safe place that encourages clients to find emotional balance during the process, as well as between sessions.
When ready for the reprocessing of events phase of treatment, the client will be asked to focus on a specific event, and attention will be given to a negative image, belief, emotion and body feeling related to this event, and then to a positive belief that would indicate the issue was resolved.
While the client focuses on the upsetting event, the therapist will then use side-to-side eye movements, taps or sound.
At any time, the client can stop the therapist; eye movements, taps or sounds are repeated until the event becomes less disturbing.
Benefits:
Transform emotional pain through the body’s own healing mechanisms
Produce rapid and effective change while maintaining emotional equilibrium during and between sessions
Address low self-esteem and feelings of powerlessness
Heal from psychological trauma
Used to reduce symptoms of PTSD, anxiety, and depression related to trauma; may also be helpful with body dysmorphic disorder, obsessive compulsive disorder, phobias, and other related reactions to trauma.
Learn more: https://www.emdr.com/what-is-emdr/