Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR)

Unprocessed trauma

When I met Lisa*, she told me she has been experiencing intense anxiety that was becoming more generalized over the past two months. She reported having been in a car accident around two months prior, which is when her anxiety began.

Lisa noticed her anxiety feeling most intense when driving her car – she was exceptionally aware of everything around her and felt a sense of dread when turning left, which is what she was doing when another car hit hers.

Lisa had good social support. While she did not seem to feel traumatized by the accident, she found herself feeling significantly anxious about driving.

I talked to Lisa about a therapeutic technique called Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing (EMDR). I explained that when we go to sleep at night, all of the experiences and information we have encountered during the day get put into the places in our brain where that information belongs.

However, when we experience trauma, our brain does not always know how to process that information, so it often gets stuck in the part of our brain that tells us to be more reactive/fearful about things.

How EMDR helped Lisa…

Lisa came back to me after her first EMDR session and told me that the first thing she noticed when getting into her car was that she had not realized how tense she had been holding her body when in her car. She reported no longer feeling anxious when driving and that the fear that had been creeping up in other areas was no longer there.

Do you find yourself reacting to traumatic events from the past? You might have done talk therapy or have talked to others about what occurred… but for some reason you find yourself feeling fearful about situations that remind you of that event. These triggers could be a noise, something you see, or a familiar situation. You find yourself reacting and feel out of control.

*composite of many clients

Reducing your triggers

Triggers. We all have them but perhaps none more than the military.

We have found that by using EMDR treatment, some of the triggers that people experience due to their military service go away.

People who have received this treatment share with us that it is easier to engage with their family and that they are able to move past some of the painful memories they have experienced. They express feeling more hopeful about their future and being able to enjoy participating in normal activities and living life again.

EMDR restores hope

EMDR is a powerful intervention as it reduces the emotional triggers that people have had related to certain events in their life. It is able to release the emotions and heightened sensory perceptions that have been trapped in your brain so that you can feel free from those triggers.

EMDR is used for things other than trauma as well. It can be used to help reinforce positive emotions and reinforce imagery that people find helpful in obtaining success in their lives.

EMDR can also be used to treat addiction and other mental health disorders for all ages, including children.

The good memories can return

What we find valuable about EMDR is that while working with people, once that painful event has been processed, often the good memories that have been a part of that person’s life come back.

We have found that the negative beliefs people have internalized because of those events are replaced with a positive belief that allows them to heal.

Call (719) 323-3094 now to schedule a session today or fill out this form so that we may contact you.