EMDR
EMDR uses bilateral stimulation (looking at a light from side to side, holding buzzers that go from hand to hand, listening to a sound that moves from ear to ear) to help you process trauma, much like the way your brain is thought to process a day’s events when you are in REM sleep. As you go through the process of EMDR, the trauma memory becomes less and less triggering for you. You also trade negative self beliefs for positive ones. Traumas treated with EMDR do not have to be “big” traumas. Any event that has happened to you, like a car accident, that is holding you back from personal growth can be treated with EMDR. Often people with trauma cannot remember some or any details of the memory, and that’s OK! You can also do EMDR with physical feelings, sounds, smells, etc.
The Details of EMDR
EMDR can be done in person or virtually. It is equally effective in both formats.
It can be difficult to talk about traumatic events. One thing clients like about EMDR is that it is not necessary for you to share details about your memories (unless you want to, of course!). It is up to you how much or little you would like to share.
In an EMDR session, I will ask you to recall a memory. I will then guide you through sets of bilateral stimulation using a light bar and/or vibrations. We will work through the memory, noticing any thoughts and feelings that come and go in the process. Some memories can be processed in one session, but most people tend to take at least 3 sessions. The reprocessing part of EMDR, done at the end, is when we “install” positive self talk, healthy coping skills, and beliefs about the self. For example, a lot of clients feel shame over things that happened to them that are in no way their “fault.” In EMDR, we work through those feelings, and I help you to learn to have compassion and understanding for the you that experienced those things and the version of you that is showing up in therapy wanting to change. The result is a weight lifted off your shoulders that gives you space to become a happier and healthier version of you.
People who experience any of the following could be candidates for EMDR therapy: Anxiety, Depression, Panic Attacks, Phobias, Grief and Loss, Performance Anxiety, PTSD, sexual assault, and violence/abuse.