Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR)

EMDR is a specialization and treatment to support clients moving past both big and small life events, trauma, negative belief systems, dysfunctional patterns, relationship wounds or anything else holding you back.

EMDR uses eye moments, tapping or other bilateral (side to side) movement to aid in clients reprocessing events, beliefs or feelings and integrating the information to learn and grow from the experience in an adaptive way.

EMDR uses 8 phases to support clients. History taking and treatment planning help provide a guide on what needs to be reprocessed. Resourcing supports clients building and integrating skills to help with emotional regulation and stabilization. Reprocessing is used when the client is ready to tackle the big stuff. Activating certain memories, body sensations, events, images etc and pairing that with some form of dual attention (eye movements, tapping, etc) help with reprocessing and desensitization of past experiences. Information is then update and integrated in the system and moves towards a more adaptive learned experience.

The body and brain is propelled towards healing, if we remove the blocks the brain and body will heal itself. EMDR accesses the trauma, activates the body and with bilateral stimulation supports movement of the trauma to be integrated into the right place in the brain’s memory. That process allows for us to learn and grow from our experiences rather that suffer from it.

paraphrased from the book, “EMDR, The Breakthrough Therapy for Overcoming Anxiety, Stress and Truama”, written by Franchine Shapiro PhD, and Margot Silk Forrest.