EMDR THERAPY

EMDR stands for eye movement desensitization & reprocessing (I know, a mouthful, hence the acronym) and is a research-backed therapy that helps to change how our brains deal with traumatic experiences. When trauma occurs, distressing images, beliefs and emotions get stuck, causing us to feel as if we’re reliving our past when we’re triggered. By connecting different parts of the brain using bilateral stimulation (originally through eye movements, now there are multiple modes), the memory (traumatic event) is integrated into a different part of the brain than where it was originally stored, allowing for a new perspective of the memory, while also eliminating the distress and the fight, flight, freeze responses. The memory is not erased, instead it will be recalled as if it’s just another memory. In a nutshell, it desensitizes the emotional and somatic responses to triggers and replaces long-held negative beliefs with positive beliefs.

There are 2 categories of trauma: big “T” traumas and little “t” traumas. Big “T” traumas are those events that are typically life-threatening, physically-threatening, and/or catastrophic (war, sexual assault, natural disasters, etc). These events are the ones that can lead to the development of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Little “t” traumas are events that are not life-threatening but are significantly distressing. For example, being bullied/harassed, loss of a loved one/pet/relationship, emotional or mental abuse, financial hardship, etc. Typically one little “t” trauma will not have a significant, long-lasting effect on us but when they accumulate, especially in a short period of time, they have the ability to cause emotional and functional impairment. Depression and anxiety can often stem from chronic or accumulated little “t” traumas.

The good news is that whether you’ve experienced big “T’ or little “t” traumas, EMDR has the capacity to help you heal and move forward. So whether you’re suffering from PTSD, depression, anxiety or feeling stuck in life, EMDR therapy is a powerful tool that can help you to heal and have a more fulfilling future.

“There is hope, even when your brain tells you there isn’t” ~ John Green