What is EMDR?

• Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing is a type of therapy that is very effective for PTSD and trauma.

• Some people cringe at the word “trauma” but another way to view trauma is negative or abnormal events that have happened in our lives and part of the trauma is unprocessed feelings and body sensations from these past events.

• Many people say “I had a normal child hood and did not experience any trauma - I was fed, went to a good school, had a home to live in, had friends to play with, etc.. And while that all may be true, trauma comes in all shapes and sizes.

• There is shock trauma or big “T” trauma (think PANDEMICS, car accidents, war, violence, threat of death) and little “t” trauma (think relationship issues, bullying, attachment ruptures in child hood, divorce, difficult child birth). Whatever the event was, it may have been too overwhelming for our brain to process on its own and leaves us with negative cognitions about ourselves.

• Some common negative cognitions are - “I’m not good enough”, “There’s something wrong with me”, “I’m a failure”, “I have to be in control in order to feel safe”, “I’m responsible”, and the list goes on…

• With EMDR we go back to the memory of events that contribute to these beliefs and reprocess them with bi-lateral stimulation (eye movements, tapping, or buzzers in your hands).

• Your right brain is emotional and your left brain is logical. If you can activate both sides of your brain with bi-lateral stimulation while problem solving, research has shown that you can solve your problems much faster than just through talk therapy.