What is EMDR Therapy, How Does it Help, and Why is it Becoming Increasingly Popular?
Introduction
If you’ve seen the Good Morning America special with Prince Harry opening up about his EMDR therapy experience then, you are likely intrigued. Since his announcement, EMDR has become increasingly popular and for good reason! EMDR therapy is highly effective, heavily researched, and results are typically faster than talk therapy. If you’d like to learn more about the approach and if you would benefit from EMDR- continue reading.
What exactly is EMDR?
EMDR Therapy stands for Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing Therapy. Imagine your brain having multiple filing cabinets. Every night during REM sleep your brain sorts through your memories and experiences by puting them into these filing cabinets. While many memories are neatly filed, there are some that are jammed and left on the floor. EMDR Therapy sorts through the memories and experiences that are disheveled so, they are easy to think about instead of overwhelming and anxiety-provoking.
Who is EMDR therapy good for?
EMDR is great for individuals and couples experiencing depression, trauma, persistent negative beliefs about self, addictions, insomnia, problematic behavior, relationship concerns, stuck spots with grief, anxiety, phobias, and borderline personality disorder.
Who is EMDR Therapy not good for?
EMDR therapy is not good for individuals who are not ready to face the difficulties they’ve experienced. It is a courageous act to undergo EMDR therapy and requires people to go back to the difficult memories or feelings they’ve experienced. Some people are not ready to face these difficult circumstances, therefore, should hold off until they are ready.
It is also recommended that individuals who are actively using substances refrain from EMDR. This is because during EMDR Therapy your brain is processing through memories and information. Abusing drugs or alcohol gets in the way of processing. It is recommended that people refrain from abusing drugs/alcohol 24 hours before and 24 hours after an EMDR session.
How does EMDR help?
EMDR Therapy helps repair damaged or broken memories that are causing individuals and couples difficulties, through bilateral stimulation.
What difficulties does EMDR help with?
EMDR therapy treats many different difficulties including depression, trauma (single incident or complex trauma), persistent negative beliefs about self, addictions (not proved to be a good stand-alone treatment for addictions), insomnia, problematic behaviors, Impulse control issues, Social issues, Relationship concerns, Stuck spots of grief, Performance anxiety (athletes, SAT tests, etc.), Borderline Personality Disorder, Phobias (dental, vomiting, spiders, etc), and Anxiety (Test anxiety–Generalized anxiety–Social anxiety-illness anxiety, etc).
How long does EMDR therapy sessions last?
EMDR Therapy is a fast and effective approach that typically takes 6-12 sessions. It is recommended to undergo EMDR Therapy once to twice every week for the fastest results.
Conclusion
If you have depression, trauma, persistent negative beliefs about self, addictions, insomnia, problematic behavior, relationship concerns, stuck spots with grief, anxiety, phobias, and borderline personality disorder and are interested in EMDR Therapy, schedule a FREE 15 minute consultation to see if you are a good fit!
