EMDR Therapy
EMDR, or Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing, is a type of therapy that helps people heal from the symptoms and emotional distress that are the result of disturbing life experiences. It's particularly effective for issues like trauma, PTSD, anxiety, depression, grief and other related concerns.
During EMDR sessions, we'll work together to process your memories and experiences in a way that reduces their negative impact on your life. This involves a structured approach where you'll recall distressing memories while simultaneously focusing on external stimuli like eye movements, taps, or sounds. These bilateral stimulations help your brain reprocess the memories in a more adaptive way.
As we progress through EMDR, you may notice shifts in how you think, feel, and react to those memories. Over time, the emotional charge associated with those experiences tends to decrease, and you'll likely find yourself feeling more empowered and less overwhelmed by them.
It's important to note that EMDR isn't about forgetting or erasing memories, but rather about transforming them into something that's easier for you to manage and live with. It's a collaborative process, and we'll work at a pace that feels comfortable for you, ensuring that you always feel safe and supported throughout the journey.
"Trauma is not what happens to you, it's what happens inside you as a result of what happened to you."
- Gabor Mate
Expected Outcomes
Reduced Symptoms
Clients often experience a significant reduction in symptoms related to trauma,
such as flashbacks, nightmares, intrusive thoughts, anxiety, depression, and hypervigilance.
Improved Coping Skills
Through EMDR therapy, clients learn new coping skills and strategies for managing emotions, stress, and triggers associated with their traumatic experiences. This can lead to increased resilience and a greater sense of control over their lives.
Resolution of Memories
EMDR therapy aims to help clients process and integrate traumatic memories, leading to a decrease in their emotional intensity and distress. Clients may find that traumatic memories no longer have the same power to disrupt their lives.
Emotional Regulation
EMDR therapy can lead to improvements in emotional regulation, helping clients to better manage their emotions and react more adaptively to challenging situations.
Increased Self-Efficacy
Clients often report feeling more confident and empowered as a result of EMDR
therapy, with a greater sense of agency and control over their lives.
Improved Relationships
Resolving past trauma through EMDR therapy can lead to improvements in
relationships, as clients may experience reduced emotional reactivity and an increased capacity for empathy and connection.
What can you expect from EMDR therapy?
"Trauma is not about what happens to you. Trauma is the belief you established about yourself and the world around you as a result of what happened to you."
- Gabor Mate
During EMDR therapy sessions, clients can expect the following:
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Assessment and Preparation: The therapist will begin by conducting an assessment to understand the client's history, current symptoms, and treatment goals. This is also a time for the therapist and client to establish rapport and build a trusting therapeutic relationship.
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Target Identification: Together, the therapist and client will identify specific memories, events, or beliefs that are causing distress and that they want to target during EMDR therapy. These targets will serve as the focus of the sessions.
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Desensitization and Reprocessing: During EMDR therapy sessions, clients will be guided through sets of bilateral stimulation, which can involve eye movements, hand taps, or auditory tones. While engaging in these bilateral stimulations, clients will focus on the target memory or belief and any associated thoughts, emotions, or sensations. This process helps to desensitize the distressing memory and facilitate reprocessing, allowing the client to create new, more adaptive associations with the memory.
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Processing: As the client engages in bilateral stimulation and focuses on the target memory or belief, they may experience various thoughts, emotions, and physical sensations. The therapist will guide the client through this processing, encouraging them to notice whatever comes up without judgment and to allow the natural healing process to unfold.
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Integration: Throughout the session, the therapist will support the client in integrating any insights, emotions, or shifts in perception that occur during the processing phase. This might involve discussing new insights or reframing beliefs in a more positive light.
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Closure: At the end of each session, the therapist will help the client transition out of the processing mode and back into their everyday state of mind. This might involve grounding techniques or relaxation exercises to ensure that the client feels stable and supported before leaving the session.
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Overall, clients can expect EMDR therapy sessions to be structured, collaborative, and focused on processing and resolving distressing memories and beliefs in order to promote healing and growth.
Conditions best treated by EMDR
PTSD + Trauma
EMDR therapy is widely recognized as an effective treatment for trauma-related disorders including PTSD, complex trauma, acute stress disorder, and adjustment disorders. It helps individuals process traumatic memories and reduce symptoms such as flashbacks, nightmares, hypervigilance, and avoidance behaviours.
Anxiety Disorders
EMDR therapy can be beneficial for individuals with anxiety disorders, particularly those whose symptoms are rooted in past traumatic experiences. It helps reduce anxiety symptoms, such as excessive worry, panic attacks, and phobias, by reprocessing the underlying traumatic memories.
Depressive Disorders
EMDR therapy may benefit individuals with depressive disorders, especially if their symptoms are related to unresolved trauma or adverse life experiences. By processing and resolving traumatic memories, EMDR therapy can alleviate depressive symptoms and improve mood.
Phobias and Fears
EMDR therapy can be effective in treating specific phobias and fears that are linked
to past traumatic events. It helps individuals reprocess the memories and associations underlying their phobias, leading to a reduction in fear responses and avoidance behaviours.
Attachment Disorders
EMDR therapy can be helpful for individuals with attachment disorders resulting
from early relational trauma or disruptions in attachment bonds. It can facilitate healing from past relational wounds and promote the development of secure attachment patterns.
Grief and Loss
EMDR therapy can assist individuals in processing unresolved grief and loss, including complicated grief reactions. It helps individuals reprocess the memories and emotions associated with the loss, leading to a sense of acceptance, closure, and emotional healing.
It's important to note that while EMDR therapy has shown effectiveness for these conditions, it may not be suitable for everyone. The appropriateness of EMDR therapy should be determined through a comprehensive assessment by a qualified mental health professional, who can tailor the treatment approach to the individual's specific needs and circumstances.