EMDR for Trauma

Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) is a revolutionary evidence-based model of psychotherapy, which helps clients to heal from traumatic or distressing life experiences. 

Our bodies have the natural ability to recover from traumatic life experiences, which involves collaborative communication between the amygdala, hippocampus, and the prefrontal cortex in the brain. When the body is under acute stress, difficult life experiences can get ‘stuck’ during the processing and prevent this communication from occurring properly. The sensory information from these experiences (images, thoughts, sounds, emotions, smells) does not get fully processed in the brain, which causes these memories to be stored maladaptively, creating a post traumatic stress response. When these memories are triggered in daily life, it can lead to a heightened response or avoidance/numbing. EMDR provides rapid relief, as it helps the brain to ‘unstick’ the maladaptive wiring and then create new neural pathways to a more adaptive form of memory storage.  EMDR is traditionally designed for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (acute and chronic traumas, dissociative disorders, sexual/physical abuse) and is very effective for this population, however there are many other ways to use EMDR to provide relief of psychological distress.

I often explain to my clients that trauma is subjective and there are various types of trauma that can deeply affect one’s daily life. There are ‘Big T’ traumas (like a car accident, sexual assault, terrorist attack...that are often life-threatening) and then there are ‘Little t’ traumas (like chronic bullying, divorce, ongoing conflict, financial stress...that are often not life threatening). The symptoms manifest in different ways, however EMDR can treat both types of trauma and it is important to recognize the toll that ‘Little t’ traumas can take. They are often minimized, however the sustained presence of stress can cause chronic symptoms. 

In my clinical work, I have found many other effective applications of EMDR. These include depression, anxiety, grief, low self-esteem, addiction, body dysmorphia, phobias, emotional dysregulation, chronic illness such as Lyme’s Disease, traumatic birth, miscarriage, and infertility. EMDR was developed 30 years ago by Francine Shapiro, and over the last few decades there has been an abundance of research to prove its efficacy. I became trained and certified in EMDR over five years ago, and I have used it with hundreds of clients in that time with great success. 

EMDR is a very robust treatment model. It often resonates with clients who have tried many other forms of therapy and are looking for an innovative approach to heal the root causes of their wounds. It does not require talking in detail about one’s trauma...rather it allows the brain to facilitate its own natural healing process. EMDR bypasses the conscious brain and accesses pain and trauma on a deeper level.