At Forward Emotion, we pride ourselves on our unique approach to therapy. We use a combination of modalities to fit the needs of our individual clients. This customization replaces standard talk therapy with a tailored plan to bring you closer to the life you want. Some of these modalities include Art Therapy, Brainspotting, Internal Family Systems, and EMDR.
EMDR Therapy
This month, we’d like to dive deeper into EMDR Therapy. It’s most known for benefits to individuals with PTSD. However, it can be helpful to anyone that struggles with negative thought patterns and beliefs. A wide range of distressing experiences can leave people with thoughts like “I am stupid. I am worthless. I am helpless…”
EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) is a psychotherapy technique that uses bilateral stimulation (or eye movements) to lessen the visceral effect of unprocessed traumatic memories.
What does that mean?
Our brains have a natural process of recovering from traumatic memories. This consists of communication between 1) the amygdala (the part of your brain that says “Whoa! I’m not safe”), 2) the hippocampus (the part that learns what is safe and what isn’t by storing memories about past experiences and intel from others), and 3) the prefrontal cortex (which analyzes and determines behavior and emotion).
These three key players come together to make the decisions when our body has to respond to a stressful situation. Most know this decision as “fight, flight, or freeze.” Sometimes, our brain needs help with this natural process. That’s where EMDR can make a difference.
Remembering unprocessed traumatic experiences typically brings the body back to the same recipe of stress as the original experience. This can make facing these memories, such as in talk therapy, challenging. EMDR’s eye movements help ease this process so the brain can store the memories in a more sustainable way. Instead of coming back to the raw moment, this technique “tricks” the body into calming the resurfacing emotions. From there, someone is in a better place to resolve the difficult memories and take steps to healthier patterns of thinking.
How do we know this works?
Research has shown EMDR Therapy’s positive effect on many psychological challenges, not limited to anxiety, depression, Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, chronic pain, low self-esteem, and addictions. In 2016, research demonstrated successful treatments for more than seven million people by 110,000 therapists in 130 countries. Wow!
Within our own walls (and video screens), our therapists have facilitated successful treatments using EMDR with their clients. We specialize in helping individuals who have been in emotionally abusive relationships (such as with a narcissist) and who struggle with feeling stuck, self-doubt, and low self-esteem. If this modality interests you, talk to your therapist about it in your consultation or next appointment.
For more information about our mental health services (women’s therapy, EMDR therapy, Reiki, Tarot, and more), check out our website or contact us at 630-999-8236 or info@forwardemotion.com.
Sources:
“About EMDR Therapy.” https://www.emdria.org/about-emdr-therapy/
