Learn about Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR)
You will achieve amazing results with EMDR therapy. Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) is a type of specialized mental health therapy for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). EMDR therapy can help you process upsetting memories, thoughts, and feelings related to past or current trauma. EMDR therapy assists individuals with processing their traumatic experiences, so they can get relief from PTSD symptoms.
How Does EMDR Therapy Work for PTSD Symptoms?
Traumatic events produce trauma symptoms is some individuals, people with PTSD symptoms often have trouble making sense of what happened to them and feel “stuck” in the moment. EMDR helps people process the trauma that they experienced, which can allow them to heal from the traumatic event. EMDR therapy simple uses bilateral stimulation to help you “get unstuck”. During an EMDR therapy session you will pay attention to a back-and-forth movement or sound while you call to mind the upsetting memory.
Focusing on the traumatic memory while experiencing bilateral stimulation shifts the memory within the brain. This will alter the way that you experience that memory. Releasing the “charge” of the memory so that it no longer triggers a physical response of fight, flight, or freeze. The goal of EMDR therapy is to release the trauma from the body and negate the impact of the traumatic memory. EMDR therapy is highly researched and backed by scientific evidence. EMDR for PTSD is an effective treatment and has help countless individuals get past the trauma that has been keeping them stuck.
What Can I Expect During an EMDR Therapy Session?
The process of EMDR is broken into 8 phases. Each phase or stage is geared to moving you forward while releasing the symptoms associated with the traumatic memory. During the first stage, you will learn about physical and emotional reactions to trauma. You and your provider will discuss how ready you are to focus on your trauma memories in therapy. Throughout EMDR treatment, you will learn many healthy coping skills to assist you during your mental health therapy session.
As you progress through the phases of EMDR, you will identify the “target memory” or the upsetting memory you want to focus on during the mental health therapy session. You can also target an unwanted thought, feeling, or theme if you cannot pin point the exact traumatic memory. You will hold the memory in your mind while also focusing on the rhythmic back-and-forth movement or sound until your distress of the memory goes down. This process is broken down into timed segments and can be adjusted based on the persons level of distress during the therapy session.
Throughout the mental health therapy session, you will talk about what you are noticing. Eventually, after you level of disturbance reaches none, you will focus on a positive belief. This positive belief is then instilled over the traumatic memory for symptom relief. Towards the end of treatment, your mental health therapist will assess your trauma symptoms and check if you need to process other targets memories. The process will continue until symptom relief is maintained.
Is EMDR Therapy Effective for PTSD?
Absolutely! EMDR therapy is one of the most highly researched trauma therapies in psychology. There is much evidence that proves the effectiveness of EMDR therapy for PTSD. So, yes, trauma-focused psychotherapy (including Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) is one of the most effective types of treatment for PTSD.
Is EMDR Therapy Safe?
Yes. EMDR therapy is safe. However, you may experience distressing symptoms or feel uncomfortable while focusing on trauma related memories and experiences. This distress is brief and when you are with a certified EMDR therapist the distress will be minimal. As you continue with EMDR therapy the memories and trauma symptoms will lessen. The major benefits of EMDR therapy outweigh the minor discomfort felt at the beginning of therapy. Remember, you will never feel worse than since this therapy aims at symptom relief.
EMDR therapy is performed one-to-one with a certified EMDR therapist. EMDR therapy is not intended for groups and should only be performed by a certified EMDR therapist.
How Long Does EMDR Treatment Last?
EMDR therapy is based upon the individuals needs and extent of trauma. Some people only need 1-3 EMDR sessions to experience symptom relief while, others may need months or longer. Everyone is different and everyone reprocesses trauma differently. There is no right or wrong time frame. So, be patient with yourself and with your mental health counselor. You will begin to feel relief after the first EMDR session.
Get Started With A Certified EMDR Therapist
Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) therapy is a mental health treatment technique for PTSD and other mental health disorders related to trauma. The goal of EMDR therapy is to help you heal from trauma or other distressing life experiences. Getting started is easy. Simply contact Sobair Professional Mental Health Counseling and Life Coaching to get started today. We offer EMDR therapy and other trauma therapies to assist you with overcoming the symptoms associated with a traumatic event.
Who Needs to Have EMDR Therapy?
EMDR can help people with a wide range of mental health disorders and conditions. Adolescents, teenagers and adults of all ages can benefit from EMDR therapy because is a highly beneficial treatment. The most widespread use of EMDR therapy is for the treatment of PTSD. Mental health counselors also use EMDR therapy to treat other mental health disorders such as:
- Anxiety disorders: generalized anxiety disorder, panic disorder, phobias and social anxiety/phobia.
- Depression disorders: major depressive disorder, persistent depressive disorder and illness-related depression.
- Dissociative disorders: dissociative identity disorder or amnesia and depersonalization or derealization disorder.
- Eating disorders: anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa and binge-eating disorder.
- Gender dysphoria (feeling as though your gender is different from the one assigned to you at birth).
- Obsessive-compulsive disorders: obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), body dysmorphic disorder and hoarding disorder.
- Personality disorders: borderline personality disorder, avoidant personality disorder and antisocial personality disorder.
- Trauma disorders: Acute stress disorder, PTSD and adjustment disorder.
Final Thoughts on EMDR Therapy
EMDR therapy is a very effective mental health therapy that helps people with traumatic memories. Even though this treatment is best known for its use in treating PTSD, ongoing research shows it can treat many other mental health disorders. EMDR therapy can make a big difference for people struggling with painful events so, don’t suffer contact a mental health counselor in your area or contact Sobair Professional Mental Health Counseling and Life Coaching today.