Healing the Mind from Psychological Trauma
EMDR therapy helps the mind heal from psychological trauma much as the body recovers from physical trauma.
Studies show that EMDR therapy can help people experience benefits of psychotherapy that once took years to achieve. Using detailed protocols and procedures, clinicians help clients activate their natural healing processes. EMDR allows a client to process and begin to talk about an emotional experience that he/she has not yet been able to discuss.
If you’re experiencing these symptoms, EMDR might be right for you:
- High anxiety and lack of motivation
- Depression
- Memories of a traumatic experience
- Fear of being alone
- Unrealistic feelings of guilt and shame
- Difficulty in trusting others
- Relationship problems
There are a number of factors to consider when evaluating the appropriateness of EMDR therapy for a client’s particular situation and history. During your initial consultation, all the relevant factors will be discussed in full to help you both come to a decision to move forward with EMDR.
What Is EMDR?
A relatively new breakthrough therapy, EMDR emerged from initial medical studies in 1989. Over the past thirty years, positive therapeutic results with EMDR have been reported across the county.
EMDR therapy uses bilateral stimulation — right/left eye movement — or tactile stimulation, or sound, to repeatedly activate the opposing sides of the brain. This releases emotional experiences that are “trapped” in the nervous system, assisting the neurophysiological system, the basis of the mind/body connection, to free itself of blockages and reconnect. As troubling images and feelings are processed by the brain via the eye-movement patterns of EMDR, resolution of the issues and a more peaceful state can be achieved.
EMDR is a natural process. The client and the therapist become partners on a journey to help move traumatic and blocked energy. Together they work to transcend and free up the energy so the client can return to their natural grounded state of being. The goal of this work is to help the client heal and return to their life in peace.
How Does EMDR Work?
The therapist works gently with the client and asks him/her to revisit the traumatic moment or incident, recalling feelings surrounding the experience, as well as any negative thoughts, feelings and memories. The therapist then holds her fingers about eighteen inches from the client’s face and begins to move them back and forth like a windshield wiper. The client tracks the movements as if watching ping pong. The more intensely the client focuses on the memory, the easier it becomes for the memory to come to life. EMDR techniques help “unlock” the negative memories and emotions stored in the nervous system while also helping the brain to successfully process that experience of healing. As quick and vibrant images arise during the therapy session, they are processed by the eye movements, resulting in painful feelings being exchanged for more peaceful, loving and resolved feelings.
The EMDR technique is most effective when used in conjunction with other traditional methods of therapy in treating these and many other emotional disorders.
What Problems Are Helped by EMDR?
Studies show a high degree of effectiveness with trauma related to the following:
- loss of a loved one
- injury of a loved one
- car accident
- fire
- work accident
- assault
- robbery
- rape
- natural disaster
- injury
- illness
- being a witness to violence
- childhood abuse
- being a victim of violent crimes
- performance and test anxiety
- trauma
- depression
- anxiety or panic
- phobias
- fears
- childhood trauma
- physical abuse
- sexual abuse
- post-traumatic stress
- bad temper
- overwhelming fears
- panic attacks
- low self-esteem
- relationship problems
- brooding or worrying
- trouble sleeping
Please contact me today at (650) 947-4044 or by e-mail at [email protected] for a free consultation and to find out how I can help you unlock trauma and begin to heal.