How does EMDR therapy work?
This therapy is based on the belief that traumatic events aren’t properly processed in the brain when they happen. This is why they continue to affect us — with nightmares, flashbacks, and feelings of the trauma happening again — long after the actual trauma is over.
When something reminds you of the trauma, your brain and body react as though it’s happening again. The brain isn’t able to tell the difference between the past and the present.
This is where EMDR comes in. The idea, known as the adaptive information processing model, is that you can “reprocess” a disturbing memory to help you move past it.
This therapy aims to change the way that the traumatic memories are stored in your brain. Once your brain properly processes the memory, you should be able to remember the traumatic events without experiencing the intense, emotional reactions that characterize post-traumatic stress.
Who can benefit from EMDR?
Much of the research involving EMDR therapy is on its use in working with trauma and PTSD. However, it's been found beneficial in helping the following conditions:
- Trauma - PTSD
- Anxiety
- Panic Attacks
- Depression
- Phobias
- Dissociative Disorders
- Grief
- Eating Disorders
- Addiction
- Stress
- Indecisiveness
- Shame