There are many different approaches to treating trauma, depression, anxiety, grief, addiction, etc.; one of those ways, which also proves to hold its effectiveness over time, is E.M.D.R. or, Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing. What makes E.M.D.R. a preferred technique among clients to treat their symptoms is you do not necessarily have to provide all the details about the situation, we only need to look at the worst part. This may sound hard, but this is the part that carries all the weight, and once the distress is brought to a 0, the weight is gone. Relief is found within the mind and body.
E.M.D.R. works because it is changing the way traumatic memories are stored in our brain and body. Picture your brain filled with filing cabinets that nicely store all the information our life has taken in and taken on. Our brain will find things like other events or find a way to accommodate them to certain categories so they can be nicely filed away and organized. When we have been through trauma, there are parts of the event that our brain cannot find something similar or find a way to accommodate in our files. So, the trauma memories are left swirling around in our minds like a shaken snow globe, leading us to have intense emotions, intrusive thoughts and a variety of risky behaviours we have in the present.
Eye movements allow our brain to take the non-processed event and process it using both the emotional side and logical sides of our brain. This allows the “snow” to settle and alters the intensity of emotions, the frequency of the intrusive thoughts and a decrease in risky behaviours as the body and mind are now grounded in the present and no longer living in the past. We no longer feel as if the trauma is still with us, it goes back into the space and time it happened in making us feel safer in our present moment and have positive thoughts about the future.
EMDR intensives are “fast tracked” sessions which are completed in 1 or up to 5 days or 2 – 8 hours long. During these full day sessions, we tackle the majority of or all of your trauma within the 2 – 8 hours in as many days as you need. The time that is potentially needed is collaborated on during the intake session.
During an intensive session, we take as many breaks as you need. I also inquire as to what your favorite snacks, drinks and other comfortable items you may need during your time.
Check out the blog on the process of E.M.D.R.
