EMDR Therapy
What is EMDR?
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) was developed by Francine Shapiro in 1987. EMDR is a powerful psychotherapy technique that has been medically studied and found to be very successful in helping people who suffer from trauma, anxiety, depression, chronic pain, and more. While our brains process and resolve many stressful events normally through the amygdala, hippocampus, and prefrontal cortex, trauma can sometimes cause this process to become stalled. The distress remains trapped by our survival instincts - our fight, flight, or freeze response, often resulting in feeling overwhelming distress or as if you are stuck “frozen in time” rather than healing. EMDR therapy helps jumpstart the brain's natural processing, allowing these memories to be effectively digested so that you can remember the experience without triggering the original distress or survival response. As troubling images and feelings are processed by the brain via the eye-movement patterns of EMDR, resolution of the issues and a more peaceful state are achieved.
Until the development of EMDR, many mental health conditions were difficult to treat and could take a long time to resolve. EMDR is considered a breakthrough therapy because of its simplicity and the fact that it can bring quick and lasting relief for most types of emotional distress.
*This photo is an MRI scan of the brain before (left side) and after (right side) EMDR treatment.
EMDR uses guided "bilateral stimulation"—such as side-to-side eye movements—to help the brain safely reprocess traumatic memories, reducing their emotional intensity and vividness. The therapist works gently with the client to revisit a traumatic moment or incident, recalling feelings surrounding the experience, as well as any negative thoughts, emotions, and memories. The therapist will then guide the client using a light bar to track the light with their eyes. The more the client focuses on the memory, the easier it becomes for the memory to come to life. As images arise during the therapy session, they are processed by the eye movements, resulting in painful feelings being exchanged for more peaceful and resolved feelings. Once it is processed, it is no longer disturbing and never becomes disturbing again.
EMDR is recognized as an effective treatment by top global health organizations, including the World Health Organization (WHO), the American Psychological Association (APA), and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. To date, EMDR therapists have successfully helped millions of people across 130 countries.
How does it work?
How do I know if EMDR is right for me?
There are several factors to consider when evaluating the appropriateness of EMDR therapy based on a client’s particular situation and history. During your initial consultation, Tegan will discuss all the relevant factors in full to help you both come to a decision about moving forward with EMDR.
Which issues can be addressed by EMDR?
Studies to date have shown a high degree of effectiveness with the following conditions:
-Trauma/PTSD
-Witness to violence or victim of violent crimes
-Assault
-Robbery
-Rape or sexual abuse
-Physical abuse
-Injury
-Illness
-Panic attacks
-Anxiety
-Brooding or worrying
-Phobias
-Overwhelming fears
-Car or work accident
-Childhood trauma or abuse
-Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
-Natural disaster
-Fire
-Loss of a loved one or injury of a loved one
-Relationship problems
-Performance and test anxiety
-Difficulty with regulating anger
-Low self-esteem
-Trouble sleeping or nightmares/terrors
-Brain struggling to shut off
-Lack of motivation
-Depression
-Chronic pain
-Unrealistic feelings of guilt and shame
-Difficulty trusting others
-Substance abuse or addiction
“The goal of EMDR Treatment is to rapidly metabolize the dysfunctional residue from the past and transform it into something useful.”
Francine Shapiro
Founder of EMDR Therapy