When you experience a stressful event, your brain can keep you stuck there, still experiencing the emotions, thoughts, and bodily sensations. Even if the stressful event happened many years ago. A type of therapy called Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing therapy (EMDR) can help you to escape this stressful event and learn to live fully in the present. EMDR in brief EMDR helps people to heal from stressful experiences. The idea is that sometimes things get stuck in the brain, and with the help of EMDR, the blockage is removed, and the brain starts to heal. When I use EMDR, I stimulate your brain’s natural healing system to resolve the stressful experiences. The stressful experiences are resolved because, with the help of EMDR, your brain can finally process those stressful experiences. You are no longer overwhelmed by those experiences. EMDR in more detail These are the three parts of your brain that communicate with each other -
In response to a stressful event, your brain tends to tell you to do one of three things –
If your brain has not had a chance to process a stressful event, your brain can get stuck in one of those three responses (fight, flight or freeze). EMDR involves moving your eyes from left to right, a process similar to REM sleep. If you don’t like this eye movement, we can use ‘tappers’ (a small machine that you hold in your hands and sends subtle pulsing sensations from left to right). EMDR helps your brain to process those stressful experiences, so they are not stuck in a way that overwhelms you. As a result, you change your beliefs about the event and about yourself. For example –
Before any reprocessing takes place, we will also work hard to identify and strengthen any ground and calming resources, so that you never feel overwhelmed. I am a member of EMDR International Association, and they have put together a video to help you understand EMDR. Please let me know if you have any questions about this.
If you have been suffering and you need help with this, get in contact today. A confidential initial telephone call is free, and you can book this online. Chris Warren-Dickins LLB MA LPC Psychotherapist in Ridgewood, New Jersey www.exploretransform.com Comments are closed.
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October 2022
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