Could You Benefit from EMDR Therapy?

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• Do you always feel on guard? 

• Are you are easily startled? 

• Do you tend to be clumsy or forgetful? 

• Do you have nightmares, difficulty sleeping?

• Do you have flashbacks to events from your past? 

• Do you have strong negative beliefs about yourself or the world? 

• Do you feel distant or cut off from other people? 

• Do you tend to be irritable? 

• Do you have angry outburst or tend to act aggressively? 

• Do you feel triggered by things in your day-to-day life that result in your feeling super angry or fearful, even if your reaction does not make sense to you at the time?

• Do you wish you could be calmer, more in control of your emotions and better able to manage your relationships? 

If you answered Yes to any of the above questions, there is hope! EMDR is a scientifically-based treatment that can help you. Read on to learn more about EMDR and see if it's right for you.

EMDR is a type of structured psychotherapy intervention used to help clients process trauma. EMDR allows a client to focus briefly on a trauma memory while simultaneously using bilateral sensory stimulation (typically eye movements or tapping), which reduces the intensity of the emotion associated with the trauma memories.  (https://www.emdria.org/about-emdr-therapy/)

EMDR is considered a type of cognitive behavior therapy first developed by U.S. psychologist Francine Shapiro in the late 1980’s. Shapiro initially used directed eye movements, but bilateral stimulation also includes bilaterally tapping of the body or alternating auditory sounds. The bilateral sensory stimulation of EMDR, whether through directed eye movements, tapping the body lightly, or through sound, seems to distract and calm the nervous system as the client’s mind processes and releases the trauma reaction stored in the nervous system. EMDR then helps clients to reduce the occurrence of disturbing images and body sensations, difficult emotional sensations, and destructive beliefs. 

Traditional EMDR may incorporate additional protocols such as the Ego State Protocol to help reduce urges for additive substance or behaviors.