Inner Reflections Counseling Center
Eye Movement Desensitization & Reprocessing (EMDR)
Occasionally traumatic events occur, either in a single episode, or multiple events over time, and the brain is unable to process information as it does ordinarily. As a result, the brain can become “frozen in time” due to the event/s. Remembering a trauma may feel as bad as going through it the first time because the images, sounds, smells, and feelings haven’t changed. Such memories have a lasting negative effect that interferes with the way a person sees the world and the way they relate to others.
It is thought that EMDR therapy appears to be similar to what occurs naturally during dreaming or REM (rapid eye movement) sleep. Therefore, EMDR therapy can be thought of as a physiologically based therapy that helps a person see disturbing material in a new and less distressing way. EMDR therapy has an effect on the way the brain processes information, and these “frozen in time moments” continue the loop for ordinary processing. Once normal information processing is resumed following a successful EMDR therapy session, a person no longer relives the images, sounds, and feelings when the event is brought to mind. You still remember what happened, but how you experience it and think about it is less emotionally intense.
EMDR involves having the client concentrate on the worst part of the memory for perhaps half a minute at a time, with bilateral stimulation (BLS). This can be with a client moving his or her eyes back and forth by following the therapist's moving fingers, with TheraTappers, sound modified for BLS, light bar, etc. This is done again and again until all distressing aspects of the memory have been worked through. The brief burst of exposure, combined with the distraction of the eye movements, may help to make the procedure more tolerable.
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It is important to find an EMDR therapist that has been properly trained. Use the following link to find an EMDR therapist who has had level 1 and 2 training, and the required 20 hours of supervision with a certified consultant, or consultant in training.
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At Inner Reflections Counseling, we are committed to providing the best, and most effective care. Because of this, All LIMHP therapists are trained in EMDR and pursuing certification through EMDRIA approved trainers.
Website Resources:
Overview on what to expect from the EMDR process
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Worksheets
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