EMDR

(Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing)

The eyes are the windows to the soul (and to our internal healing)!

The next time you have a conversation with someone, pay attention to what their eyes do when they talk. Their eyes may light up when they laugh. Or they may look up when they think about what to say next.

We use our eyes to see the world, but we also use eye movements subconsciously to process as our brain works.

When you go through experiences that are painful, overwhelming, sad, or traumatic, your brain stores that memory with all the pain and emotion attached to it. When you think back on that event, you can still feel the sadness, hurt, or shame you first experienced.

You may find that you have nightmares or flashbacks of those memories that seem so real that you feel the pain all over again. Or you may find the memory blurry, but you know it was bad.

You are not alone or broken.

The pain you are experiencing now is linked to those traumatic events.

EMDR is a form of therapy that uses eye movements or reprocesses those traumatic events or memories in a healthy way, so they don’t cause you to be stuck in pain.

EMDR can treat an extensive range of issues.

Here are some examples of what EMDR can treat.

Eric* is an athlete who competes at the highest levels globally, but no one knows that even when he wins, he feels worthless and hates himself.

Rashida* has found someone she loves, but she cannot get past feeling like her girlfriend is cheating on her. She knows it is irrational to feel that way, but she obsessively checks her girlfriend’s phone and social media accounts.

Isaack* would consider his family ‘pretty normal’ with his parents still married. But he cannot maintain a healthy relationship. When he gets close to anyone, he feels trapped and wants to bail.

Angelique* experienced sexual abuse when she was younger, but she has already been to therapy for it. She should be over it by now.

John* grew up in a family that moved around a lot, and he never felt like he fit in anywhere. Kids always made fun of his raggedy shoes and Walmart clothes. But he knows other people had it way worse than he did, so he shouldn’t complain. He should be able to handle his stress.

What are the benefits of EMDR therapy versus other methods?

Other approaches often require exposure to the details of painful memories or putting yourself in an uncomfortable space to work through the issue. But EMDR therapy relies on your brain’s natural healing powers – allowing you to heal without reliving the past or forcing yourself to ‘face your pain.’

EMDR is often quicker than other therapeutic processes.

EMDR is a permanent solution. Often, other approaches provide ‘band-aids’ to heal deep wounds, whereas EMDR finds the root of the pain and heals from there.

EMDR can help you overcome what’s keeping you stuck.

As you can see, EMDR therapy can treat a lot of different issues. There is no problem too big or too small that EMDR cannot address.

You deserve to have peace, and EMDR therapy can help you find that.

Set up an initial consultation, so we can discuss how EMDR therapy can be helpful in your life.

Contact me today to discuss your options.

*Names changed to protect client confidentiality.