Eye-Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR)

Are You Suffering From Trauma That Can’t Be Healed?  Do you feel like past experiences are holding you back from the person you know you can be? If you sense that you have exhausted yourself and your resources trying to heal your trauma through traditional therapy methods, then EMDR may be your next best step. EMDR is a guided session that provides you with the internal resources you need to overcome traumatic experiences and take control of how you respond to them. This technique can guide you to a better understanding of where the fear and frustration stem from and how to resolve those feelings through healthy coping mechanisms.

What is EMDR therapy? EMDR - also known as Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing - is a psychotherapy technique in which a client will be able to repair their mental health by dulling the reaction or responses they have associated with a traumatic experience. In a session, a clinician will ask the client to follow a series of movements that act as an external stimulus. These movements can be as simple as directing a client to pay attention to hand or foot tapping; to keep their mind focused on the stimulant rather than the trauma response, the clinician will continuously repeat these movements throughout the session. Simultaneously, the client will begin to speak about whatever trauma or emotions have been burdening them. EMDR is meant to enhance the reprocessing time of trauma so that the client is better able to target external and internal triggers and find the adequate coping skills needed for when the trauma response resurfaces.

How Can EMDR Help Me? At Brighter Sky Counseling, we utilize EMDR as the tool needed to move past whatever is dragging you down subconsciously and get you on the right path towards feeling whole again. Trauma can be caused by a multitude of things, but each person's reaction to their trauma is unique and should be treated as such. During EMDR sessions you will learn how to understand your trauma responses and what triggers them on a deeper level. This technique requires the client to be open about their experiences and what emotions they have attached to those experiences so that they can better identify them in future events. We want to make certain that you leave your session feeling more in control of your life and your mental health.

How does EMDR therapy affect the brain? EMDR therapy is designed to resolve unprocessed traumatic memories in the brain. For many clients, EMDR therapy can be completed in fewer sessions than other psychotherapies. Our brains have a natural way to recover from traumatic memories and events. This process involves communication between the amygdala (the alarm signal for stressful events), the hippocampus (which assists with learning, including memories about safety and danger), and the prefrontal cortex (which analyzes and controls behavior and emotion). While many times traumatic experiences can be managed and resolved spontaneously, they may not be processed without help.

Stress responses are part of our natural fight, flight, or freeze instincts. When distress from a disturbing event remains, the upsetting images, thoughts, and emotions may create feelings of overwhelm, of being back in that moment, or of being “frozen in time.” EMDR therapy helps the brain process these memories and allows normal healing to resume. The experience is still remembered, but the fight, flight, or freeze response from the original event is resolved.”

Who can benefit from EMDR therapy? EMDR therapy helps children and adults of all ages. Therapists use EMDR therapy to address a wide range of challenges:

• Anxiety, panic attacks, and phobias
• Chronic Illness and medical issues
• Depression and bipolar disorders
• Dissociative disorders
• Eating disorders
• Grief and loss
• Pain
• Performance anxiety
• PTSD and other trauma and stress-related issues
• Sexual assault
• Sleep disturbance
• Substance abuse and addiction
• Violence and abuse

Give Yourself A Chance To Restore Your Confidence: If traditional therapy sessions aren’t working for you, then reach out to Brighter Sky Counseling where we can get you started with an EMDR professional. Stop letting the fear of getting to know yourself stop you from truly appreciating your inner strength and intuition. It’s time to move past the fight or flight stage and move towards healing those open wounds.

For more information about EMDR therapy, please visit the EMDR International Association (EMDRIA) website at:  https://www.emdria.org/about-emdria