What is EMDR?
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) therapy is an integrative psychotherapy approach that has been extensively researched and proven effective for the treatment of trauma. To date, EMDR therapy has helped millions of people of all ages relieve many types of psychological stress such as:
generalized anxiety
panic
complicated grief
disturbing memories
performance and social anxiety
stress reduction
sexual and/or physical abuse
How Does EMDR Work?
No one knows how any form of therapy works in the brain. However, we do know that when a person is very upset their brain cannot process information as it does ordinarily. One moment becomes “frozen in time,” and remembering a trauma may feel as bad as going through it the first time because the images, sounds, smells and feelings haven’t changed. Disturbing memories have a lasting negative effect that interferes with the way a person sees themselves, the world and how they relate to others.
EMDR seems to have a direct effect on the way the brain processes information, similar to what occurs naturally during dreaming or REM (rapid eye movement) sleep. Therefore, EMDR can be thought of as a physiologically based therapy that helps a person see disturbing events in a new and less distressing way.
Is EMDR Right For Me?
After determining if a client is appropriate for EMDR, 90 minute sessions or 60 minute sessions 2 days in a row are recommended. How long EMDR takes depends on the memory, life circumstances, the amount of distressing, traumatic events an individual has had in his or her life. Research conducted over the last 20+ years supports the effectiveness of EMDR as a rapid and effective treatment. For further information visit www.emdr.com or www.emdria.org.
What is Attachment Focused EMDR?
Attachment Focused EMDR is found to be excellent treatment for Adults who have experienced childhood traumas that have impacted their sense of safety and capacity to form close emotional relationships later in life. These relational traumas can include childhood physical or sexual abuse, neglect, early losses, birth trauma, medical trauma, parental drug or alcohol abuse, caregiver disagreement, or vicarious trauma.
These children were not allowed to experience their true feelings and to know themselves. In order to be loved, they adapted to the needs of their parents or caretakers. Their caregivers had behaviors that were often overwhelming, frightening, and or chaotic. For these children their source of comfort was also their source of terror. Flashbacks, frightening body memories, problems with social communication and problems with reasoning and loss of time may be experienced. These individuals often come to therapy feeling depressed, with relationship difficulties or problems at work and often say they don't feel alive.
With Attachment Focused EMDR, the client is the focus of the work. We adapt what we do to the needs of the of individual in a collaborative and respectful way. No one is forced to do EMDR in a way that doesn't feel right for them.
