EMDR stands for Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing. Sounds like a mouthful, right? Let's break it down.
EMDR is a trauma therapy that uses bilateral stimulation to reprocess traumatic memories that are stuck in the brain.
Imagine your brain as an organized filing system, where memories are neatly arranged like books on shelves. Each memory has its designated place, contributing to the orderliness of your mental world. However, every so often, a traumatic memory disrupts this order, like a book slipping from its shelf and landing in a messy pile on the floor. For some reason you can’t seem to be able to pick up the books and put them back on the shelf. Sometimes you trip on the books or stub your toe. Like the books stuck on the floor, traumatic memories get stuck in the amygdala, which is the brain’s center for emotions and hyper-arousal. Every time you are reminded of traumatic memories, you experience some sort of negative side effect, like metaphorically stubbing your toe on the books. EMDR provides a pathway for these memories to become dislodged, enabling their reprocessing and the relief of trauma symptoms. With EMDR, you will be able to metaphorically pick up those books and put them back on your shelf, with no future worry of stubbing your toe.
How do these traumatic memories become unstuck? Let's break down the different parts of EMDR therapy.
First, eye movements -- EMDR uses eye movements to trigger bilateral stimulation of the brain. Bilateral stimulation activates the working memory and allows both hemispheres of the brain to communicate with each other. It's like our brain cells are finally able to have a conference call to help each other out. Eye movements typically look like following the therapist's fingers as they move them back and forth or following a light as it bounces back and forth.
Second, desensitization -- Before engaging in bilateral stimulation, a distressing memory is chosen as a target. While focusing on this memory, you begin bilateral stimulation through eye movements. As the therapist leads the client in sets of eye movements, the brain will process the trauma and reduce the stress associated with the target memory.
Third, reprocessing -- Engage in bilateral stimulation to transform the negative cognition associated with the target memory into a positive cognition. When reprocessing is complete, your brain will attribute the positive cognition with the previously distressing memory.
When you engage in bilateral stimulation, you are able to clean up the mess the trauma made in your brain.
With the guidance of an EMDR therapist, you can experience the powerful and transformative process of EDMR therapy. The healing that comes from cleaning up your mental library can be life-changing.
Contact us today to begin your healing process with a trained EMDR therapist at Pollema Counseling Center.
Written by Amanda Snyder, LPCC
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