Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) therapy is very effective for processing trauma, attachment issues, and other life experiences that cause emotional distress.
In EMDR, it is believed that memories become “stuck” if they are unable to be processed due to trauma or other overwhelming events.
How EMDR therapy works:
Imagine that your brain has a filing cabinet, and that each memory (if it’s processed properly and not impacted by trauma or other types of distress) gets safely filed away. When this happens your brain is able pull the memory out of the “filing cabinet” when you want to remember it, and file it back when finished. These properly processed memories are recognized by the brain as events and experiences that happened in the past and are over.
If these memories become “stuck”, though, they’re not able to be processed and filed away, so the brain thinks they’re happening now, rather than in the past. This can influence how we see and experience ourselves, others, and the world around us. It can also result in these memories popping up at unhelpful times, leading to intense distress or to patterns of behaviour that you wish you could stop, but don’t know how.
EMDR can help to reprocess these memories by allowing the brain the opportunity (without having to discuss the trauma/distress in detail) to resolve these “stuck points” so that the memories can be neatly filed away. EMDR allows the brain to use its healing power to help you move toward adaptive resolution (when the memory no longer leads to distress or other triggers).
Common uses of EMDR:
- Traumatic experiences from childhood, adolescence, or adulthood
- Symptoms of Post-Trauamatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
- Depression
- Anxiety and/or panic
- Attachment injuries from childhood
- Addiction and/or substance use
If you’re in Kitchener-Waterloo and are wondering about or ready to pursue EMDR therapy, please reach out. You are not alone.
Fees may be paid using cash, credit card (Mastercard and Visa), or e-transfer.