EMDR
Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing
Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing
HOW TRAUMA WORKS IN THE MINDThe mind constantly manages experiences, processes them, and properly stores them in the brain. When a person experiences something that is out of the ordinary or is repeatedly exposed to a stressor, the brain struggles to process and store the information correctly. The ability to use natural coping mechanisms becomes overloaded. The experience can remain unprocessed and frozen in the brain, which activates the part of the brain that controls the fight, flight or freeze response (the limbic system). This part of the brain is the home of our most complex emotions, such as anger and love.
The traumatic memory is held in a raw and emotionally suspended state, easily triggered by experiences resembling the trauma. Over time, the memory may fade, yet the emotional agitation does not disappear. The mental unrest this causes makes it difficult sometimes to think, process information, live in the moment, and learn new experiences. |
With repeated sets of eye movements, clients process the experience in a way that creates some peaceful resolution, which is the desensitization portion of EMDR. With the help of a therapist, who works as a guide in the process, the perception of the experience can change so that the experience can finally be stored appropriately in the cerebral cortex, the reprocessing of EMDR. The limbic system is soothed, and the memory becomes just a memory without the raw emotional sensations. Essentially, the memory is neutralized and loses its painful intensity. While the memory is reprocessed, other associated memories may heal simultaneously.
Resources are created before the tracking of the light begins to help calm you should you feel overwhelmed in the process. We can stop and use these resources and start again when you feel ready. You are in charge and are encouraged to advocate for yourself in the process. |