What is EMDR?
Eye Movement Desensitization & Reprocessing (EMDR) is a specialized form of therapy that helps individuals recover from trauma or other distressing life events. EMDR stimulates the psyche’s natural healing process and changes the way traumatic memories are stored in the brain.
Traumatic memories are stored in the brain differently than other kinds of memories.
When a trauma occurs, it becomes stored in the nervous system in its original disturbing form. EMDR shifts how trauma is stored in the brain and speeds-up the processing of traumatic events and reduces the disturbing emotions, symptoms, and negative beliefs associated with those experiences. EMDR helps people become unstuck and renders traumatic memories manageable.
We still retain these memories but without the same emotional charge caused by the fight, flight, or freeze response from the original event.
EMDR therapy begins by assessing if this form of therapy is a good fit for you. Together you and your therapist will work to identify the target memory, including the negative images, beliefs, or body feelings associated with the original event.
We assess the distress of this target memory and guide you through a series of rapid eye movements or tapping for approximately 30 seconds. The dual attention experienced in following the eye movements while remembering these memories, helps individuals stay grounded in the present as the brain works through these memories from the past. After each set, you will be guided to notice what comes to mind. Our goal is to release the distress from the original target memory and to arrive at a new positive belief, image, feeling, or insight related to the event.
If traditional talk therapy hasn’t resolved your emotional struggles, EMDR may be a helpful addition to your therapeutic journey.
Aside from trauma, EMDR is great for issues such as low self-esteem, depression, anger, and anxiety. We will challenge your negative core beliefs, ask you to identify a preferred positive belief, and engage you in a completely individualized process in order to eliminate emotional suffering.
Begin your journey to healing. If you’d like to discover if EMDR therapy is right for you, you’re invited to contact Nasreen Welden, MA, LPC at [email protected] or 214-536-0443 to schedule free 15-minute phone consultation. I look forward to hearing from you!
What is it like to experience EMDR?
**For more information on Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing therapy, visit www.emdria.org **