What is EMDR therapy? And how can it help you?
(Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing)
When a person experiences a stressful event, it can become so overwhelming and traumatic that the memories hide like a shadow in the brain. This may initially be helpful. It protects the person from the pain of the experience but in time these shadows can could our daily experiences, relationships and cause havoc on our emotional wellbeing.
Traumatic memory can cause a “stuck” feeling and can invoke feelings of re-living the experience and cause intense emotional responses that are often unwanted. It can disrupt your daily life.
You may have stuck feelings if you ever:
- Have body sensations such as a feeling of panic in your chest
- Avoid places or people
- Have nightmares or flashbacks of the event
- Have intense emotions such as fear, deep sadness or rage
These traumatic memories are particularly problematic because your nervous system is perceiving a threat that is no longer happening and can impact how you feel about yourself as a person, a parent or a partner. These negative memories can also get stored with negative beliefs such as: I am a bad parent, I am a failure or I am worthless.
EMDR helps to address the physical and emotional sensations that are distressing and change your thinking about yourself and the event. EMDR therapy, which has been around since the 1980’s, is an 8-phase therapeutic approach that uses bi-lateral stimulation through sounds, buzzers, hand movements or physical tapping. Within a safe, caring therapeutic relationship it can help a person develop new resources and become unstuck, making space for emotional regulation and symptom relief. EMDR therapy can be used soon after or many years after the traumatic experience to help “unstick” these memories in a way that talk therapy often cannot.
This therapeutic approach is not a quick fix and it not a fit for everyone at every time. However, it is extremely effective and, for many, life changing. The process of EMDR depends on the type of trauma and the person’s history and the therapeutic relationship with your counsellor is essential in this healing process.
Rebecca Johnston is trained in EMDR therapy as well as Cognitive-Behavioural Therapy, Motivational Interviewing and Emotionally Focused therapy. She uses an eclectic mix of approaches depending on what fits best for you.
