EMDR Therapy

What Is EMDR?

Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) is a highly effective treatment modality that uses bilateral stimulation (or side-to-side eye movement) to change the way trauma is stored in the brain, helping clients heal from distressing life experiences.

Though EMDR was primarily developed as a treatment for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and other trauma-related issues, it is also widely used to assist those struggling with anxiety, depression, and substance abuse disorders.

The History Of EMDR & How It Became One Of The Most Effective Trauma Treatments

EMDR was initially developed by the psychologist Dr. Francine Shapiro in the mid-1980s as a way to help trauma survivors manage their emotional activation and distress when recalling difficult memories. Using the revolutionary technique of bilateral stimulation, Shapiro discovered that clients’ feelings of distress changed in relation to where they looked. By 1989, controlled studies on this method were published, paving the way for EMDR to become a therapeutically valid, evidence-based approach.

Today, a range of medical and psychological organizations recognize EMDR as one of the most effective PTSD treatment approaches. And studies have demonstrated that the process of desensitization can neutralize traumatic memories, thereby reducing intrusive thoughts and negative self-beliefs associated with not only the traumatic experience itself but also specific symptoms related to other mental health issues. [1]

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What Happens In Therapy Using EMDR?

Bilateral stimulation is the main tool used in EMDR therapy. While Shapiro’s original experimentation involved side-to-side eye movements, bilateral stimulation can also be achieved through side-to-side auditory cues (like beeping) or tactile movements (like tapping), depending on which method the EMDR therapist finds most effective.

The process begins with the therapist asking the client to focus on a specific image, sensation, or belief that the traumatic memory triggers. As the client does this, bilateral stimulation is initiated, moving across the brain’s networks to neutralize and re-integrate the memory in a way that is less painful or upsetting. Though EMDR does not erase traumatic memories, it changes the way the brain stores information, addressing core issues and targeting disruptive symptoms.

Clients are always put at the center of the EMDR therapy process. Alongside psychoeducation about how bilateral stimulation works, an EMDR therapist will ensure that the risk of re-traumatization is low and that their client has proper coping strategies in place when beginning counseling.

How Is EMDR Different From Other Treatment Approaches?

There are a variety of ways that EMDR differs from other forms of counseling. Unlike many conventional behavioral approaches that address surface-level symptoms, EMDR targets underlying issues at the core in a way that facilitates lasting healing. EMDR is also a relatively nonverbal approach, making it gentler and less activating than forms of counseling that encourage clients to talk through the details of their trauma.

EMDR Through Mindful Lotus Therapy

Our therapists are passionate about meeting our clients where they are on their healing journey and minimizing the suffering they experience. We became trained in EMDR because we recognize just how effective this approach is when it comes to healing the trauma that is so often at the core of anxious, fearful, and impulsive thinking. As such, EMDR through Mindful Lotus Therapy is available to clients over 12 and safe to use in treatment for a range of issues, including trauma, grief and loss, anxiety, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), panic disorders, phobias, and stressful life events.

In order to ensure that our clients have effective coping strategies in place, we are likely to incorporate other therapy approaches—including mindfulness and behavioral therapies—in treatment using EMDR. Methods like Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) offer meaningful stress and emotional regulation skills alongside EMDR, helping clients to expand their window of tolerance when recalling challenging memories or experiences.

Having watched our clients overcome a variety of symptoms using EMDR, we know that relief from suffering is always a possibility. Asking for help and getting support is the first step toward an improved quality of life, ensuring that your past, present, and future are no longer impacted by the lingering effects of stress and trauma.

EMDR Is A Holistic Approach To Treatment

EMDR typically works well in combination with Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), parts work (Internal Family Systems, IFS), and a number of other treatment methods. Because of its structured nature, EMDR therapy is often shorter, more effective, and all-inclusive in its healing approach.

It gives both you and your therapist a way to measure and visualize your progress. And you don’t have to do any homework between sessions—unless you find it helpful. So no matter if you’re dealing with anxiety and depression, grief and loss, low self-esteem, or trauma/PTSD (and other complex issues), it is possible to heal and fundamentally change your life for the better.

There Is Hope

If you or your child struggle with trauma-related symptoms of anxiety, grief, or other mental health issues, Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) is a highly effective tool that can be used in counseling to facilitate lasting healing and relief. In-person EMDR therapy sessions are available to clients local to Davie, FL, and virtual sessions are available to residents of Florida who are 12 and older. Contact us for more information. 

[1] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6106867/

 

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