WHAT IS EMDR?
EMDR, which stands for Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing, is a groundbreaking psychotherapy that is used in the treatment of trauma. This treatment is used to help people recover from painful trauma and distressing life experiences. When we activate the natural healing process within our brain, EMDR allows for those difficult experience to properly heal.
The use of bi-lateral stimulation is used to activate the brain and release painful experiences that could be “confined” within the brain. Once those painful experiences are unlocked, it allows the left and right hemispheres of the brain to communicate with one another. When we use the bi-lateral stimulation and the identified distressing experiences, those experiences are then desensitized. In other words, made less painful. That distressing experience is then reprocessed, which can allow for a brand-new meaning to be placed on the experience.
EMDR helps heal those with any type of trauma, there is absolutely no limit or requirements to who the treatment can help. This can include, but is not limited to, PTSD, anxiety, depression, panic disorders, and physical, emotion, or sexual abuse. This psychotherapy treatment has been proven to be the most effective healing method with PTSD.
For more information on EMDR, visit www.emdr.com or www.emdria.org
WHAT IS BI-LATERAL STIMULATION?
Bi-lateral stimulation is a stimulus that is basically a rhythmic left-right pattern that is done over and over. The use of this technique when focusing on a distressing memory while also using bi-lateral stimulation helps to reduce that distress.
In the case of EMDR, there is auditory and visual bi-lateral stimulation. An example of visual bi-lateral stimulation is watching a hand move back and form in front of you, or watching a light switch on from left to right. As for auditory bi-lateral stimulation it could be a set of tones being played and switching from your left ear and then right ear.