Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR)

EMDR has been used to treat a wide range of troubling negative experiences, from extreme incidents like rape, combat accidents, natural disasters and crime, to loss of a loved one, having an angry or alcoholic parent or being the victim of bullying, teasing or emotional abuse. Since traumatic experiences can play a role in many problems, EMDR can also help with depression, anxiety and phobias, fears related to medical procedures, sexual problems, chronic pain, sleep problems, learning difficulties and performance anxiety.

Multiple controlled studies support the efficacy of EMDR, making it the most thoroughly researched methods ever used in the treatment of trauma. Learn more at www.emdria.org and www.emdr.com.

When a person feels very upset, the brain struggles to process information. One moment, or several, can become frozen in time. When negative memories are frozen in time… the past isn’t the past, and it is time to do something different! Remember that trauma can feel as bad as going through it the first time. In addition, such memories can have a lasting negative effect on the way a person sees the world, relates to other people, and lives one’s life. EMDR seems to have a direct, beneficial effect on the way that the brain handles upsetting information. It allows normal information processing to resume, so images, sounds, and feelings are no longer relived when the event is brought to mind or triggered by a similar event. What happened is remembered, but it is far less upsetting. Additionally, sleep improves, one feels less sensitive to noise and often will report less startle reactions. It is not uncommon after one session to feel a greater sense of calm and compassionate understanding when thinking about the negative memory.