What is EMDR?

EMDR, also known as Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing, is a treatment tool designed to help people heal from trauma and other distressing life experiences. It has gained in popularity over the last several years as a deeply affective tool to utilize when an addition to talk therapy is needed.

The idea is that traumatic memories can become “stuck” in the brain, causing us to revisit the difficult emotions/thoughts connected to these memories over and over, seeking an answer. EMDR utilizes procedures designed to stimulate bilateral brain activity to assist the brain in assimilating these memories in a more appropriate way. This aids in decreasing negative thoughts, feelings, and behaviors associated with the memory.

After the clinician and client determine which memory to target first, the client will hold different aspects of that event or thought in mind while the therapist moves his hand back and forth across the client’s field of vision. This promotes rapid eye movement, which moves the client into reprocessing the memory. Clinicians might also use a light bar, tapping a client’s knees, or buzzing pulsars the client holds in their hands.

Only trained clinicians can utilize EDMR in therapy, and our clinicians have over 13 years of experience in utilizing EMDR into our therapeutic practices. We have seen first hand the transformative work EMDR can provide to clients struggling to work through their negative experiences. Contact us today and we will talk through how EMDR could potentially benefit you in your therapeutic services.