What is EMDR therapy?
Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing therapy (EMDR for short), is an effective and evidence-based therapeutic treatment. EMDR is used to treat PTSD, acute stress responses, anxiety, phobias, low self-esteem, developmental trauma, impacts of emotional and verbal abuse, bullying, and pretty much any distressing life experience.
How does EMDR work?
EMDR uses bilateral eye movements. These are created by focusing the eyes with back and forth eye movements led by either a light, a wand, or a therapist’s hand. This bilateral movement is paired with thoughts of upsetting memories. Your therapist will guide you through bilateral eye movements while focusing your attention on aspects of traumatic thoughts or memories.
Before EMDR therapy, negative thoughts, beliefs, or memories are stored in the emotional part of the brain. EMDR’s goal is to move these negative experiences to the logical side of your brain, decreasing the emotional impact they have on you.
The EMDR therapy process desensitizes you to traumatic memories and the negative beliefs associated with them. When this occurs, it greatly reduces the distress associated with the memory. So, EMDR allows you to heal from the experience that caused trauma as well as deal with current life stressors in a way that feels healthier and happier for you.