office
817.737.0658Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR)
“The world is full of suffering, it is also
full of overcoming it.”
–Helen Keller
“…just as despair can come to one another only
from other human beings, hope, too, can be given to one only by
other human beings.”
– Elie Wiesel
 |
 |
|
EMDR is a powerful form of psychotherapy used to resolve disturbing memories, fears or anxieties, past or present. I was trained by the originator, Francis Shapiro in 1993, while trying to find a way to help clients resolve issues more quickly and with less emotional pain. Although EMDR is particularly known for helping rape victims and combat soldiers suffering from battle related distress, it can also be used for traumas involving emotional, physical, sexual or spiritual abuse.
People who
experience or witness a traumatic incident may re-live that memory
over and over, even many years later. Flashbacks, hurtful
beliefs about oneself or the world, nightmares, and
misinterpretations of other’s motives can stem from the troubling
event.
|
|
 |
|
During EMDR, we begin by agreeing on a memory that is upsetting. If that is hard to find, we go for a feeling, like anxiety or the sense that you are being cheated, and go backward to a memory or time when that began. We also identify beliefs that spring from these memories, like, “I will never be safe,” or “I should have done something,” or “I will never be good enough.” We explore the emotions and body sensations that stem from the episode.
Then we commence
with a round of eye movement, where you follow my fingers back and
forth, for 15-30 seconds. You then give me feedback about what
you remembered, felt, or thought during the eye movement. We
do eye movement again and continue the processing until you have
resolved the disturbance and have come to embrace healthier beliefs
about yourself.
Why is EMDR so
effective in resolving hurts and maladaptive beliefs?
Possibly, it is because the eye movement helps us process emotional
material in the way REM sleep does. Recent studies show that
EMDR decreases the vividness and negative emotion associated with a
person’s difficult memories, enhances retrieving those memories, and
increases a person’s mental flexibility. Simultaneously, EMDR
has positive physical effects, like decreasing heart rate.
Perhaps its effectiveness lies in the bilateral stimulation of the brain or in causing a person to do two things at once—that is, focusing on traumatic memories while doing eye movement. Whatever the reason, many studies have found EMDR to be especially effective. To view associated research, see EMDR.com. The technique has been found effective enough that prestigious organizations such as the American Psychiatric Association, Defense Department, and Veteran’s Administration see EMDR as a first-line choice of treatment for traumas.
EMDR therapy has also been successful in helping patients cope with serious illnesss, like Mesothelioma. For more information on Mesothelioma, see Mesothelioma.com.