EMDR

Powerful Change

The name “Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing” does not convey the power and mystery of this modality. If you feel stuck in some way, or have a phobia, or have a memory that bothers you, you might want to try EMDR. We can’t undo what happened in the past, but we can shift how we feel about it, which in turn takes some of its power away.

A Sense of Relief

EMDR essentially involves focusing on something that we want to change while using bilateral stimulation to facilitate that change. So we are doing two things at once, and this is called “dual attention,” which can bring a sense of relief. It’s a brain thing; although EMDR has been widely studied, we don’t understand precisely why or how it works. There seems to be a connection to REM sleep, which is where dreaming takes place. In my practice, I have three options for bilateral stimulation: eye movement, audio/sound, and tactile. If this all sounds strange, I hear you. I resisted getting trained in EMDR for quite a while because it seemed gimmicky to me. And then I tried it.

Capacity for Transformation with EMDR

EMDR is creative; no two sessions are alike. EMDR is gentle and although the therapist leads the session, the client has the ability to determine the pace, direction, and even duration of the session, as well as how much or even whether or not the client wants to talk about what they are experiencing. Although not necessarily a “quick fix,” EMDR can sometimes be surprisingly efficient. And the experience of having a new thought or a different feeling about something can spark curiosity and optimism about our overall capacity for transformation.

I use EMDR as an adjunct therapy and also as a primary modality, depending on the client’s goals and presenting problems. As my client, you might never do EMDR, or we might incorporate EMDR into most or all of your sessions. Let me know if you are looking specifically for EMDR, and that will help determine how we work together.