EMDR Therapy
What Is EMDR Therapy?
When we experience something scary or distressful, it triggers our nervous system into the fight-flight-freeze-fawn response. In this state, the normal memory-storing process gets disrupted, and our brain associates the sensory details of what’s happening in that moment with the immediate danger taking place. This memory can then become so entrenched into our brains that whenever these same sensory details are re-experienced, our nervous system doesn’t know the difference and reacts as if we are once again in danger. For this reason, our trauma never leaves us.
EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) is a therapeutic approach designed to help people resolve traumatic memories and reduce their associated distress. The EMDR protocol aims to tap into the brain's natural healing mechanisms, allowing you to reprocess traumatic memories more adaptively. By reducing the emotional impact of traumatic memories, EMDR therapy enables you to move beyond trauma with greater resilience and well-being.
Since initially being developed by Dr. Francine Shapiro in the 1980s, EMDR therapy is now practiced worldwide and recognized as a successful treatment for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), chronic pain, and other trauma and stress-related disorders. [1]
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What EMDR Therapy Sessions Look Like
In the lead-up to EMDR counseling sessions, I will ensure that you are well-prepared with resources and have the confidence to tackle distressful memories. We will begin by attending to the nervous system through mindfulness. By noticing and bringing awareness to sensations in your body, you will become more attuned to feeling instead of thinking.
During EMDR sessions, you'll be guided to recall traumatic experiences while simultaneously focusing on external stimuli, such as hand movements or sounds. Traditional EMDR therapy utilizes hand movements, replicating how our eyes move during Rapid Eye Movement (REM) sleep cycles. Known as bilateral stimulation, this process allows you to access difficult memories in a non-threatening way that is naturally soothing to your nervous system. Feeling calm and present allows you to reprocess the memory from a distance where it is no longer triggering.
After desensitization therapy, I recommend that you take time for yourself to recover, as you might feel tired or depleted of energy. Throughout our work together, I will never force you to do anything that feels unsafe. Although progress usually ebbs and flows, as long as you remain curious, open-minded, and non-judgmental, you will find value and benefit from EMDR therapy.
Who Can Benefit From EMDR Therapy?
EMDR is an effective treatment for anyone who has experienced trauma that has resulted in PTSD, depression, anxiety, intrusive thoughts, withdrawal/isolation, low self-worth, or panic attacks. Eye desensitization therapy can be particularly helpful for people who have experienced states of helplessness related to childhood trauma, bullying, or any form of abuse. I also sometimes incorporate EMDR therapy into grief work.
With EMDR counseling, you can develop greater self-awareness, acceptance, understanding, forgiveness, empathy, and self-compassion for yourself. It can also desensitize past triggers and alleviate the tension and stress your body has been holding onto. Your overall health and well-being can greatly improve once you are no longer burdened with the shame or burden of holding onto your trauma.
EMDR therapy has been endorsed by mental health organizations such as The World Health Organization, The International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies, The American Psychiatric Association, and The American Psychological Association [2]. According to the EMDR institute, 84-90 percent of single-trauma victims no longer have Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) after only three 90-minute therapy sessions. [3]
Why I Decided To Pursue Advanced Training In EMDR Therapy
I became trained in EMDR in 2021 and am currently working on further certification. As a therapist who specializes in trauma, pursuing advanced training in EMDR therapy ensures that I am helping my clients to the best of my abilities. Because I honor the investment my clients put into me by seeking therapy, I have committed to putting in the additional work that allows me to be more creative in EMDR sessions.
EMDR is my preferred approach for trauma treatment. Traditional talk therapy or Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) processing only treats symptoms rather than addressing the core of trauma that's stored in the central nervous system. EMDR therapy’s somatic approach lets you mindfully observe bodily sensations and notice how they get expressed as emotions when distressful issues arise. The analytical brain is only engaged in the process once trust has been built during therapy and your nervous system feels safe. By guiding the brain to reprocess distressful memories, the EMDR protocol takes advantage of its resiliency and ability to heal.
Building a rapport with my clients has been one of the most rewarding experiences. Earning their trust allows us to embark on trauma recovery together. The results I have witnessed have been remarkable—all it takes is to have faith in yourself and the process.
Find Out How EMDR Therapy Can Help You
Your resilience as a human is powerful. To find out more about EMDR therapy with Kairos Counseling Services, please call or text 719-399-5543 or visit my contact page.
[1] https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/8543715/
[2] https://www.emdria.org/about-emdr-therapy/recent-research-about-emdr/
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