Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing

How does it work? 

EMDR is based on the understanding that intrinsically, our brains heal themselves. Sometimes we can experience things that are too overwhelming, and we are able not to integrate them naturally. This is where EMDR comes in. 

By using dual-attention/bi-lateral stimulation (eye movement, tapping, light, sound, vibrations), we ignite this adaptive processing of the brain, creating an opportunity to integrate past life experiences in the present time. In EMDR, we have dual attention, one foot in the past, one foot in the present, and the bilateral stimulation assists in building a bridge between the limbic system (emotional response) and the prefrontal cortex (the highest form of thinking/decision-making.) Do you ever feel like you are totally on board with making a behavior change and yet seem to keep doing the same thing over or over despite your desire and longing to change it? This could be a sign that there is something from the past left unprocessed.  EMDR does not erase memories, it simply supports your own innate ways of integrating experiences.

Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing is an AMAZING therapeutic tool to move stuckness.  Typically EMDR is used to treat trauma symptoms, and the definition of trauma (in the world of EMDR) is anything that is not fully integrated.  EMDR can be used to treat any symptoms that are distressing!  I have used EMDR for folks with a fear of public speaking and social anxiety symptoms, certain phobias, sleeping issues, low self-esteem, addictive behaviors, panic attacks, you name it.   It is truly flexible in the areas it is needed for!   

Together, we tap into the adaptive brain processing and your innate ability to heal yourself through bilateral stimulation of the brain.  Have you ever noticed that you can think better when you are walking?  The same thing, bilateral attention takes us into deeper areas of our brains.  

What does an EMDR session look like? 

Typically, I will assess your readiness, making sure that you are “resourced” (feeling grounded, present, and relaxed), and that you can emotionally tolerate trauma processing protocol. After you are cleared to begin, often, you choose the bi-lateral stimulation mechanism of your choice (eye movement, tapping, light, sound, vibration.) In the session, you select an event (past or present) to address. You are guided through the process of evoking images, phrases, emotions, body sensations while experiencing bi-lateral stimulation to support your natural neurological process of integrating experiences through brain and body. EMDR can be used on significant traumas as well as minor disturbances.

This is not talk therapy. This is a subjective experience for the client, and the therapist holds a supportive presence while tracking the micro-movements of the client. The sets of EMDR are about 30-45 seconds each with breaks in between. If you have more specific questions, please do not hesitate to contact me with your questions.  

EMDR can provide long-term relief from emotional and physical turmoil!

We can try all day to change our behaviors but without addressing the key beliefs underlying them, little is achieved.  Through the process of EMDR, we (you and I together- it is a collaborative process) can change deep-rooted core beliefs that keep us suffering.  Examples, of the beliefs, could be, “I don’t matter.”  “Something is wrong with me.”  “I’m unlovable.”  “I’m defective.”  Yes, this very sensitive material that we picked up along the way to adulthood.  As clients, you choose what you would like to believe instead-  for example instead of holding a core belief that “something is wrong with me” a person may choose a belief like, “I’m okay the way I am.”  

The brain has a filing system and we look for similar information the categorize things quickly. Throughout life, we may look for information to validate the old beliefs, so and so broke up with me, that goes into the filing cabinet under “Something is wrong with me.”  In therapy, we pinpoint the major neural networks and webs holding these untrue beliefs. We begin refiling old damaging beliefs into different categories that are more aligned with your adult self, and support lifestyle choices that support your desires for yourself.   For instance, instead of carrying the belief that you are responsible for the abuse that happened to you, we rework the experience and integrate a new healthier belief, “I was just a child” or “It wasn’t my fault.” 

The effects of EMDR are truly remarkable.  The process can be challenging because we have through old wounds in the present but on the other side of doing the work, there can be emotional lightness, confidence, renewal, and an embodied sense of internal shift.  You want external changes, you need to do internal work.

A key component of deep change achievable with EMDR is its ability to change CORE BELIEFS. 

Yes, core beliefs are key players in driving our behavior. 

Therapy is not for the faint of heart.  It is work and it can be extremely scary and hard.  Trust me, it is worth it!  Stop the patterns now instead of twenty years from now and we (you and I) will have a better chance of cultivating positive changes and outcomes that bring joy and fulfillment into your life!