A Path to Healing from Trauma, Anxiety and Stress

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What is EMDR

EMDR stands for Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing.  It is a research backed, evidence based psychotherapy method, designed to help people heal from trauma, anxiety, deeply rooted negative beliefs and other distressing experiences.  Unline traditional talk therapy, EMDR guides the brain to reprocess difficult memories so they no longer feel as raw and triggering. 

How EMDR works

During EMDR therapy, the therapist guides the individual through recalling disturbing memories while using bilateral stimulation to help the brain process these memories more adaptively.  The basic premise is that trauma or unresolved memories can become “stuck” in the brain. This can result in negative emotional reactions, physical symptoms, or maladaptive behaviors. EMDR helps to reprocess these memories, allowing them to be stored properly in long-term memory and reducing their emotional intensity.

Understanding EMDR and the brain

EMDR’s effectiveness lies in its ability to engage the brain’s natural healing process, facilitating the processing and reorganization of distressing memories. To understand how it works, we need to explore a little about how memories and trauma are processed in the brain.

Memory Processing and the Brain
When we experience traumatic events, our brains often struggle to process these experiences as normal memories. In these cases, the event may remain "stuck" in the brain’s emotional processing centers instead of being properly stored in the more rational, long-term memory area.. As a result, the emotional charge attached to these memories stays active and can trigger symptoms like flashbacks, anxiety, or fear, even years after the event.

The Role of Bilateral Stimulation (BLS)
The key element in EMDR therapy is bilateral stimulation (BLS),  Bilateral stimulation taps into the brain’s natural processing systems, helping to activate both the left and right hemispheres of the brain. This dual hemisphere activation helps facilitate memory processing in a way that doesn’t overwhelm the emotional centers.  The specific theory behind this is that BLS mimics the brain’s natural processing activity that occurs during REM (Rapid Eye Movement) sleep. During REM sleep, the brain actively processes memories, emotions, and experiences, helping to "file" memories in a way that reduces emotional charge. By simulating this brain activity during therapy, EMDR helps your brain reprocess traumatic memories, reducing their emotional intensity and integrating them in a healthier, less disruptive way.

The Reprocessing of Memories
During the actual therapy, the therapist guides the client to recall distressing memories while engaging in BLS. As the memory is reprocessed, the brain starts to "file" the memory more appropriately, shifting it from the emotional centers to the rational parts of the brain. This helps to:

• Reduce emotional distress: The memory becomes less charged with negative emotions, making it less likely to trigger anxiety, fear, or flashbacks.
•  Reframe negative beliefs: The person may begin to replace limiting beliefs (like "I am not safe" or "I am powerless") with healthier, more adaptive beliefs (like "I am safe now" or "I am capable").
• Normalize the memory: The brain processes the memory as part of the past, helping to shift the focus from the overwhelming emotions it once carried to a more neutral or integrated perspective.

Impact on the Nervous System
Trauma is often stored in the body as well as the mind, and EMDR helps with the "body scan" phase, where individuals become aware of physical sensations associated with trauma. This allows the body to release tension and restore a state of balance, reducing the physical symptoms of stress and trauma that often persist long after the original event.

Eight phases of EMDR therapy

History Taking
The therapist assesses the individual’s history, identifies traumatic memories, and determines treatment goals.
Preparation
The therapist explains the EMDR process and helps the client establish trust, safety, and coping mechanisms for dealing with intense emotions.
Assessment
The therapist identifies specific memories or incidents to target and evaluates the emotions and beliefs connected to them.

Desensitization
Through bilateral stimulation (usually eye movements), the client is guided to process the traumatic memories until the emotional charge decreases significantly.
Installation
Positive beliefs or self-statements (e.g., “I am safe now”) are introduced to replace the negative beliefs associated with the trauma.
Body Scan
The therapist helps the individual become aware of any physical sensations linked to the memory to clear any residual tension or discomfort.
Closure
The session ends by helping the individual return to a state of emotional balance, regardless of whether the target memory is fully processed.
Reevaluation
In subsequent sessions, the therapist checks the progress and ensures that the memory is fully processed and that no new distressing emotions have emerged.