EMDR: How This Treatment Can Change Your Life

Do you suffer from anxiety or depression? If so, you may have heard about a form of therapy called Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR). EMDR is a therapeutic technique used to reduce the symptoms of anxiety and depression, and it has the potential to completely change your life. In this blog post, we will explore how EMDR works and how it can help to improve your mental health. By the end, you will understand why EMDR is a powerful tool in treating psychological disorders and why it may be right for you.

What is EMDR?

EMDR stands for Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing. It is a therapy designed to work in a way that gets your brain and your body talking to each other. EMDR was founded as a major trauma therapy but can be used in all types of mental health concerns because it is a process that physically rewires your brain to have healthier perceptions and make lasting healthy changes.

How Does EMDR Work?

EMDR works by using bilateral stimulation either by following a finger from side to side or by tapping your shoulders. This kind of back-and-forth motion is so natural to the brain’s already high functioning that it already does this in the REM stage when you sleep! Your brain can be described as a big filing room of sorts and REM sleep allows all the information you take in to get stored appropriately. Using bilateral stimulation during therapy sessions allows us to gain access to information that is stored in those files related to the target memory so they can get reprocessed more healthily.

What Conditions Can EMDR Help With?

EMDR can help a plethora of mental health concerns including but not limited to trauma, depression, anxiety, relationships, emotional regulation, reactions to illness or injury, loss and grief, phobias, addictions, combat veterans and first responders. EMDR is even helpful in building internal supportive resources and healthy coping skills. EMDR gets at the root of psychological issues by targeting memories oftentimes from childhood. It allows your older, wiser mind to take control and provide understanding to your inner child which creates real movement in present triggers for mental health concerns.

How Does EMDR Compare to Other Therapies?

Compared to other therapies, EMDR is very fast! Traditional talk therapy will likely always be the Godfather of therapy, but when combined with EMDR clients can begin to feel real insights gained and changes experienced in as little as one session. Also when compared to other trauma-specific therapies such as Prolonged Exposure, or PE for short, EMDR has shown that clients do not necessarily need to be ‘exposed’ to their traumas during sessions to feel relief from them.

What Are the Risks and Benefits of EMDR?

EMDR can feel very intense for clients on their first go-around. This is because it is a new experience and one centered around feeling those feelings we tend to push down. However, it has been scientifically shown that EMDR does not do any harm whether you try it once or have been doing it for a year. EMDR is simply allowing your brain to talk to your body and therefore cannot create any harm but rather only observe experiences from your past to reprocess them with healthier perspectives moving forward. Are you wondering if EMDR can be helpful for you? Book an appointment with an EMDR-trained therapist today to try it out!

About the Author

Jenna Scampton, LPC completed her Bachelor’s degree at Temple University majoring in psychology, and my Master’s degree at Chestnut Hill College in Clinical and Counseling Psychology. She is certified in Prolonged Exposure therapy through University of Penn, and is now in the process of EMDR certification via the EMDR Institute. Reach out to Jenna today for a 15 minute phone consultation.