EMDR Therapy
Trauma isn’t just something “big” or “horrific.”
We often think trauma results from things like war, rape, or a terror attack.
Unfortunately, it’s much broader than that, and it’s much more common than you might think.
Trauma happens anytime you experience something painful or difficult, and you don’t process those emotions.
Those emotions then remain trapped in your body.
Emotions aren’t just mental; they’re physical. And if you don’t “release” painful emotions after unpleasant or disturbing experiences, they stay there.
Then, when you experience something in the present that reminds you of that past pain, those emotions reactivate.
Think about how your body might tense up when talking about a shameful episode at school…
Or how your chest tightens as you think about that time you got lost as a child…
These are the echoes of trauma.
And how deeply those echoes resonate…
After something traumatic happens, we automatically shape negative beliefs about ourselves, others, and the world.
Those negative beliefs, unresolved emotions, and haunting memories manifest in our bodies and minds. That’s why trauma sufferers often feel anxious, on edge, jumpy, irritable, or easily agitated.
The anxiety often keeps you from falling asleep… or you wake up through the night with nightmares. And when your sleep is affected, EVERYTHING in life suffers.
Or you might keep the emotional distance in your relationships because you’ve formed the belief that “it’s not safe to trust anyone.”
When you’re afraid of bad things, you remain in a state of “always be prepared.”
EMDR can stop the cycle.
EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) is a psychotherapy approach developed by Francine Shapiro in 1987. With over 30 years of success, it’s now one of the most widely used and effective trauma therapies available.
We’ll start by examining how trauma affects your life and relationships. Because living this way is your “normal,” it can be hard to recognize exactly where the trauma is operating.
After identifying the source of your pain, we’ll use EMDR to help your brain “reprocess” these memories, removing the emotional distress associated with them.
Once those distressing memories have been reprocessed, we’ll work together to install new, positive beliefs about yourself.
Here’s how it works…
Why is it called ‘eye movement’? Francine Shapiro, who developed EMDR, was walking in the park when she realized that eye movements appeared to decrease the negative emotion associated with her distressing memories.
There is an explanation for that. We store memories, emotions and feelings, body sensations, and beliefs about self, others, and the world in different parts of our brain. For reprocessing, we need to make both hemispheres of the brain work. That is why we move the eyes from left to right or do bilateral tapping on shoulders or laps.
Did you know that when we tap on the left shoulder, we engage the right hemisphere of the brain, and when we tap on the right shoulder, we engage the left hemisphere… Criss-cross applesauce.
After choosing what bilateral mechanics will be comfortable for you, we will pick together the disturbing memory you would like to process. I will guide you gently in this process and support you in every step.
You will see how your emotions will go down after several sets of bilateral movements. You can get rid of negative beliefs about self and install new positive thoughts and emotions. You will be able to transform negative experiences into strengths and find powerful self-perceptions.
It’s time to act… because you deserve a full life.
You deserve to sleep through the night without waking up.
You deserve to RELAX without the need to be in control constantly.
You deserve to trust and feel safe in your relationships.
And you deserve to talk about your past without stifling lumps in your throat and chest.
Leave the past in the past!
EMDR can free you from past pain and improve your overall quality of life.
It’s time to do what is fair for YOU.
Accept the help that you need and make the step toward your happiness!
Healing is real, and you can prove it. Call today for a consultation: (954) 361-4417.
