EMDR Trauma and PTSD Therapy

EMDR involves the use of Bilateral Stimulation (typically through guided eye movements) to help you process and integrate traumatic memories.

Imagine your brain like a computer. When you experience something traumatic, it's like a file that gets stuck and won't process correctly. This "stuck" file can cause a lot of problems, like flashbacks, anxiety, and trouble sleeping. EMDR is like a special program that helps your brain process that stuck file.

The "bilateral stimulation" part is like pressing a special button that gets the processing going. Therapists can activate this button in a few ways:

• Eye Movements: You follow the therapist's finger moving back and forth, like watching a tennis match.
• Tapping: Your therapist taps your hands or shoulders, alternating from left to right.
• Sounds: You listen to alternating tones through headphones.

This back-and-forth stimulation seems to help both sides of your brain communicate better, which helps to "unstick" the traumatic memory.

While you're doing this, you'll be thinking about the memory, but the stimulation helps take the edge off the bad feelings. Over time, this process helps your brain to file the memory correctly, so it doesn't cause as much distress anymore. It's like defragmenting your computer's hard drive so everything runs smoother.

In simpler terms, EMDR uses back-and-forth stimulation (like eye movements or tapping) to help your brain process traumatic memories causing problems. It's like a mental reset button that helps you heal.

The therapy helps reduce the emotional charge of distressing memories, allowing you to reprocess these experiences in a healthier way.

Imagine you have a bad memory that keeps popping into your head, making you anxious or upset. It's like a scary scene from a movie that you can't stop replaying. EMDR Desensitization is like turning down the volume on that frightening scene. Here's how it works:

Think about the memory: You bring the upsetting memory to mind, along with any bad feelings, thoughts, and body sensations connected to it.

Do the eye movements (or taps): While thinking about the memory, you follow the therapist's fingers moving back and forth across your vision, or they might tap your hands or shoulders. This back-and-forth motion is called Bilateral Stimulation.

Notice what happens: As you do the eye movements or tapping, you might notice the memory becoming less clear, less upsetting, or even changing in some way. The bad feelings might start to fade. This is the Desensitization part – the memory is losing its power to upset you. It's like your brain can finally process the memory healthily, so it doesn't cause as much distress.

Think of it like this: Before EMDR: The memory is like a loud, scary movie scene that keeps repeating in your head.

During EMDR: The eye movements or tapping help your brain "rewind" and "reprocess" the scene, turning down the volume and reducing its scariness.

After EMDR: The memory is still there, but it's like a regular movie scene now – you can remember it without feeling overwhelmed by fear or sadness.

Important to remember: EMDR doesn't erase the memory. It just takes away the intense emotional pain that goes with it.