What is EMDR Therapy?
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) therapy is a type of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy that helps give us greater choice about the actions we take in the world and the meanings that we make. It helps us to accept what is and move forward in life with a positive, hopeful outlook:
As with all trauma therapies, the initial emphasis is to create a safe environment in which you can process and move through challenging emotions:
- Fear and anxiety
- Anger issues
- Shame
- Self-doubt and low self esteem
- Sadness and depression
Once a safe environment is achieved, the therapy involves using bi-lateral stimulation to assist with processing the painful memories and the associated negative behaviors that are derailing your life.
Trauma refers to any event that overwhelms our capacity to cope with mentally, emotionally, and physically or process the experience. Since these symptoms are as much physical as they are psychological, we need body-centered interventions to rebalance the body and mind. Without interventions that incorporate somatic awareness and movement, many therapeutic approaches are limited in their ability help clients fully release the impact of traumatic events.