What is Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing (EMDR)?
"Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) therapy is an extensively researched, effective psychotherapy method proven to help people recover from trauma and other distressing life experiences, including PTSD, anxiety, depression, and panic disorders."
Excerpt taken from EMDR International Association
EMDR and the Brain
"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 an overwhelming feeling 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."
Excerpt taken from EMDR International Association
Should I do EMDR therapy?
For more information regarding EMDR therapy, please visit www.EMDRIA.org. Don't hesitate to discuss this
therapy treatment with your therapist to see how EMDR would best suit you and your unique needs and goals.
EMDR is an effective treatment for many different diagnoses, but may require further discussion to ensure that this is the best fit for you at this time.