When trauma impacts your life, it can feel overwhelming and isolating. You may struggle with flashbacks, nightmares, or sudden outbursts of anger. Perhaps you find it difficult to sleep, concentrate, or feel connected to those around you. These symptoms can make it hard to move forward, trapping you in an endless cycle of reliving the past. Whether your trauma stems from a specific major event, such as a car accident or assault, or more subtle yet deeply painful experiences like neglect or bullying, you deserve help in finding relief. Reaching out for support is the first step toward breaking free from these burdens and reclaiming control over your life. EMDR therapy can be a powerful tool to help you process these traumatic memories and reduce their impact on your daily well-being.
What Is EMDR and How Does It Work?
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) is a specialized therapeutic protocol used to treat mental and emotional trauma. EMDR has gained widespread recognition in the U.S. and is currently endorsed by organizations such as the American Psychiatric Association, the International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies, and government bodies like the Departments of Defense and Veterans Affairs.
EMDR therapy is highly effective in treating both major and minor traumas. EMDR therapists refer to these as Big “T” traumas and Small “t” traumas. Big “T” traumas include experiences such as sexual or physical assault, combat experiences, major accidents, or the sudden loss of a loved one. Small “t” traumas might include things like financial or job stress, relationship difficulties, abrupt relocation, bullying, or childhood neglect.
EMDR can help reduce trauma symptoms such as flashbacks, nightmares, angry outbursts, sleep disturbances, concentration difficulties, and feelings of depression and isolation.
PTSD can also develop from less severe but deeply hurtful experiences, particularly in childhood. Small “t” traumas tend to get overlooked as the cause of PTSD, but their cumulative effect can significantly impact mental health.
In both cases, trauma disrupts the brain’s ability to process information. Typically, the brain processes experiences and forms appropriate connections, releasing any emotions or physical sensations that are no longer needed. However, during a traumatic event, this system is interrupted, causing negative memories, emotions, and physical sensations to be stored in the brain. These stored memories distort current experiences, blending past and present in harmful ways.
The Benefit of EMDR Therapy
EMDR is an effective protocol to treat these unprocessed past memories that are poisoning the present. EMDR is able to remove the anxiety, fear and sadness that cause individuals to avoid or overreact to situations.
EMDR techniques allow individuals to identify early memories that are the root of their problems and change their emotions, thoughts, and even physical sensations surrounding them. These same techniques can also help people achieve desired goals by understanding why they do what they do and how they can manage life and their own behaviors better.
EMDR is used to treat a variety of issues including:
- Trauma and PTSD
- Complicated grief
- Dissociative disorders
- Disturbing memories
- Sexual and/or Physical abuse
- Body dysmorphic disorders
- Panic attacks
- Phobias
- Pain disorders
- Performance anxiety
- Stress reduction
Ready to Explore EMDR Therapy? Contact Me to Learn More.
If you or a loved one suffer from any of the above and believe you may benefit from EMDR, please contact me. I would be happy to discuss how I and this particular therapy approach might help.If you or a loved one suffer from any of the above and believe you may benefit from EMDR, please contact me. I would be happy to discuss how I and this particular therapy approach might help.
