What is EMDR therapy? EMDR stands for Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing which is a long-term current therapy used to treat conditions such as PTSD, Anxiety, and Addiction. It is being used more and more for new afflictions such as Migraines or Phobias for instance. It entails creating a state of clarity without fear. It processes the problem so that the symptoms cease to trigger stress or involuntary response. EMDR was discovered in the 1980S and since has evolved to be one of the leading therapies for complex trauma. With a trained professional, a client can somatically experience trauma without recreating the cycle of traumatization but rather “desensitize” the feeling associated with it. Eventually, the triggers will not cause suffering. It can also create effective coping strategies for any future encounters with stress or trauma. It does not alter memories, but rather calms the automatic response to become alarmed.
I have been using EMDR therapy for 10 years now and find it to be highly successful. I have treated clients with a fear of elevators, social phobia, preverbal trauma with someone as young as 4 years old, recent accidents, childhood sexual abuse trauma, alcohol and drug addiction, the death of a loved one, and seizures. I tried it myself in the early ’90s and experienced great results so I wanted to use it to help others.
EMDR is popular with people who either don’t like so much talk therapy or have tried other therapies and want to try something new. EMDR is not tapping. EMDR works great in conjunction with DBT (Dialectical Behavior Therapy).
