EMDR changes lives! Since I began using EMDR in 1995, I have seen miraculous change and healing in 1000’s of people.
EMDR stands for Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing. A few years after this therapy was established and researched, a better name for it emerged that explained what it really does; Adaptive Information Processing. But EMDR was already becoming well known so the name remained in order to avoid confusion.
To really understand the magnitude and depth of EMDR benefits, is to experience it. Explanations pale in comparison. That being said, I will offer an explanation here.
EMDR is a body-mind-emotion process for healing and transformation. It can change ingrained negative thought patterns and beliefs, emotional reactions, physical discomforts in the body, entrenched negative patterns, habits and even addictions.
We can also work with “highly charged memories" of past events in a gentle way for the purpose of reducing or eliminating distress, while at the same time moving you toward more of how you would like to feel and behave as the person you are or can be today. For instance, if you get tense in social situations, based on a past known or unremembered experience(s) and have (conscious or unconscious) beliefs, “I am not good enough,” or “I am not likable,” or “I am not emotionally safe,” we will work with any past experience that led you to this belief/feeling in the first place. We will gently do so until the tension eases and spontaneously moves toward positivity such as, “I can try,” “I am likable,” “I am safe,” with feelings of ease and confidence.
This is not just positive thinking. Whatever incident(s) caused you to feel and believe this in the first place, will shift to the deeper sense of what is true. We are actually reprocessing information stored in your body-mind-emotions from previous experiences. This includes, experiences that are emotionally and physically overwhelming that can lead to Post Traumatic Stress Disorder or Acute Stress.
EMDR provides the ability to essentially reverse negative patterns that have developed in your brain, body and nervous system. The end result of EMDR treatment is to reduce or eliminate unwanted old states of being, negative thoughts, beliefs, and feelings. And to strengthen adaptive positive states of being, thoughts, beliefs, and feelings to enable you to feel much better and to be your best in everyday life.
I will offer two examples from my practice with people who had experienced major trauma:
One of my previous clients had been traumatized by her experience of Hurricane Andrew. The events during and the after math of this hurricane were particularly horrific in her particular situation. Ten years after this hurricane, she would panic and fearfully run to her closet to find safety every time that it stormed. After one EMDR session the trauma completely cleared. Really! Three days later she was outside watching a hail storm from her covered porch. Now, that may have not been the best thing to do during a hailstorm, but the point is she felt no unnecessary intense fear or panic during this thunderstorm. I still hear from her from time to time. The healing and change she experienced will last a life time.
With her permission, a DVD of this session is used for EMDR training's to give therapists in training an example of how rapid, powerful, and yet gentle, EMDR can be.
Another beautiful example; Several EMDR sessions were able to finally bring relief from PTSD symptoms for a client who served in Vietnam. His life was almost completely destroyed due to the severity of his symptoms. His doctor was stunned. He previously was treated for years with cognitive behavioral and exposure therapy to no avail.
EMDR is such a profound therapy. I have literally 100s of examples just like these.
EMDR is an evidence-based therapy and the most researched therapy for trauma. However, EMDR is not just for trauma, it works very well for Anxiety, Depression, Self-esteem and Worth, Lack of Confidence, Shame, Anger, Grief & Loss, Phobias, Panic, OCD, Divorce/breakups, Life transitions, Geriatric Issues, Peak Performance (sports, work, school), and Emotional and/or Physical Pain, etc.
I have 25 years of experience as an EMDR therapist. I am Certified in this modality and am a EMDR Approved Consultant (supervisor, consultations to other therapists who would like to become certified). In addition, I facilitate EMDR basic and advanced training's.
For many years, I’ve served & chaired the EMDR International Association on the membership committee
I am very passionate about the gift of EMDR. It is an art as much as it is a science. I do hope you try this, with me or some else with the proper training and experience. You will not be disappointed!