what is emdr?

EMDR or Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing is an extensively researched and effective therapy to help people heal from the distress caused by trauma or disturbing life experiences. 

EMDR therapy is an 8-phase, focused approach to treating trauma and other symptoms by reconnecting the traumatized person in a safe and deliberate way to the images, thoughts, emotions, and sensations associated with the event, allowing the brain’s own innate capacity for healing to move toward more adaptive functioning.

EMDR rests on the idea that distressing symptoms occur when trauma and other painful or challenging experiences overwhelm the brain’s ability to process and that healing can be facilitated and completed through bilateral stimulation (side to side eye movements, tapping, etc..) while the client re-experiences the traumatic event in the context of the safe environment of their therapist’s office. 

To learn more about EMDR, visit https://www.emdria.org/about-emdr-therapy/ or https://www.traumamadesimple.com/mindful-living-coping-skills.html