What is EMDR?

Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing.  Say that 5 times fast.  For short we call it EMDR, and it’s a powerful tool we use to address post-traumatic stress as well as other unhelpful beliefs that may affect daily living and relationships.

EMDR has been around for quite a while now and has abundant research supporting its use.  Over time, the process has been refined and improved, and new and interesting ways to use it have been developed.  Originally it was explored as a treatment for trauma, but now it’s being used effectively to help people who contend with grief, addiction, OCD, and a number of other issues. 

So what does it do?  Basically, if we’ve had a traumatic experience, or a series of negative ones; when we think of those events, we just don’t encounter the memory of the facts of what happened.  We also may re-experience the feelings that are associated with it, and the beliefs we carried away from it.  We can’t change the facts of what may have happened.  But, with EMDR we are able to reduce the emotional distress of the memory, and even shift negative beliefs to more positive ones.  Often, the memory itself can become less vivid as well.

If you’d like to learn more about EMDR or would like to experience it for yourself, give me a call here at Total Life Counseling, 540-989-1383.  Or, visit our website at www.totallifecounselinginc.com.  I’m looking forward to talking with you.