EMDR Therapy / EMDR Therapist / Trauma Therapy
EMDR (Eye Movement and Desensitization Reprocessing) was developed in 1989 by Dr. Francine Shapiro and has become one of the most effective treatments for trauma. EMDR engages dual attention stimulation, usually eye movements or tapping, to help the brain access, unlock traumatic memories, and process them through to completion. EMDR allows us to process the “past that is stuck in time” and continues to interfere with our present lives in the “here and now.”
When trauma occurs, the neural pathway that time stamps and records an experience as finished, completed, and successfully survived can be blocked. This leaves the traumatic memory, with its images, sensory experiences (sights, smells, sounds, body sensations, etc), and the associated negative beliefs (of being “unlovable,” “not safe,” “not good enough,” “a failure,” etc.) trapped in our neural network to be activated anytime a situation or person triggers our memories of the original traumatic experience. This can happen without our awareness and leave us wondering why we reacted the way we did. Our brain reacts as if we are experiencing the original trauma, because it has not processed that the experience is over. It continues to perceive immediate danger anytime something resembles the original experience. This allows the trauma to keep coming back anytime this neural network is activated by a “trigger.” This can cause significant problems for individuals in their relationships at home, work, and in their everyday lives!
EMDR allows the brain to access this memory, in short, controlled exposures, using dual stimulation, and keeping the distress to the individual manageable. We engage in emotional regulation strategies and self-soothing techniques prior to processing traumatic memories to ensure clients have the adaptive skills and techniques they need to manage difficult memories. The brain naturally moves itself through the adaptive process, while we remove the negative beliefs and body sensations associated with the trauma. We then replace these negative beliefs with adaptive beliefs that empower the individual and leave them feeling confident and capable. This results in a reduction in symptoms and new adaptive beliefs associated with this memory. You will still have the memory, but the distress is significantly decreased, and in many cases can be gone completely. Even though we may “know” something wasn’t our fault as adults, our brain may still be “stuck” and thinking at the age we were when we experienced the trauma. EMDR allows us to reconcile childhood experience and beliefs with our adult knowledge, awareness, and self-compassion.
EMDR therapy can last several weeks for single traumatic event processing such as a motor vehicle accident, to years for complex long term childhood abuse. Each case is unique and each individual processes at their own pace. We help guide you, ensuring you are safe, well supported, and have the tools you need to heal. EMDR can give you your life back!
Learn more about EMDR at The EMDR Center of Canada.