Getting Unstuck with EMDR
*Danni is a Certified EMDR Therapist*
When something bad or traumatic happens, big or small, the memories of that event can get stuck in the brain in unhelpful ways and prevent us from living in the present. Pictures and memories of what happened keep popping into your brain and you can’t figure out why. You try your hardest not to think about it, but you might still have flashbacks or nightmares that constantly remind you. It’s not uncommon to feel high anxiety or depression. You play the “what ifs” and “woulda coulda shouldas” and think about how you could’ve prevented it from happening, and what you need to do to protect yourself so it doesn’t happen again. You don’t know why you didn’t respond differently.
Even when you’re not thinking about what happened, it comes up when something in the present reminds you of it. The thoughts, feelings and body sensations that you felt when it happened come right back to you even today. Sometimes you can tell what the connection or trigger is, and sometimes it comes out of left field. You don’t know why you can’t move past it.
It’s getting in the way and having negative impacts on your ability to lead the life you want to have. You might be experiencing difficulty in your relationships or you might be having trouble at work or school because of it. You’d like to be able to put it behind you and get back to the old you, or the you that you wish you could be.
EMDR Therapy can help with that.
EMDR stands for Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing Therapy. It allows the brain to begin desensitizing and reprocessing the events in a natural and healthy way, leading to a reduction in symptoms and emotional distress and to a higher quality of life. Bilateral stimulation methods are used to activate both sides of your brain (through guided eye movements, tapping, or sounds through headphones) while processing the information and memories of the event. The bilateral stimulation allows your brain to mimic what it does naturally during REM (rapid eye movement) sleep so that the negative thoughts and feelings related to the memory can be cleared out. Once the memory is successfully cleared, it no longer causes the same level of distress, anxiety or depression.
Why EMDR?
Studies have proven that EMDR helps people who have experienced something stressful or traumatic, sometimes in a much shorter time than traditional talk therapy. EMDR is helpful in treating trauma and PTSD in addition to regular “everyday” memories which impact one’s daily functioning and coping.
How long does EMDR take?
This can vary, because each person is so different, as are their experiences. While research has shown that distress can begin to decrease in just a handful of sessions, it really depends on what issue or concern a person is addressing, and how they have learned to cope with it. The more severe or complex the issue is, the more sessions it may take.
Our first few sessions together will be dedicated to getting to know each other and learning more about the issue or concern (how it began, how it looks today, how it is impacting you, what you’d like to see different). We’ll spend a few sessions making sure you have the tools and skills you need to begin EMDR therapy. Once that happens, we’ll begin processing the issues that you’d like to work on.
I don’t have PTSD. Will EMDR still work for me?
Yes, it’s very possible that it will. In addition to helping survivors of domestic violence, sexual trauma (rape, sexual assault, childhood sexual abuse or molestation), combat-related post traumatic stress and other traumatic events, EMDR has been found to be effective for the following issues:
Panic Attacks
Grief
Disturbing Memories
Phobias
Performance Anxiety
Stress Reduction
Anxiety & Depression
If you’re wishing that things could look different and are considering EMDR therapy as an option, give me a call or schedule a Free Phone Consultation today.