EMDR
(Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) can be used as a stand-alone method of therapy or used in conjunction with art, image, creative process and sandPlay to enhance the healing process.
What is EMDR
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) is a method of treatment for trauma that uses bilateral (brain hemisphere) stimulation to access and process stuck trauma. Developed by Francine Shapiro, EMDR is an accelerated information-processing model used to treat trauma. As defined by Shapiro, traumas are those experiences that lower our sense of self-confidence and assault our sense of self-efficacy. Like a perceptual filter, they narrow and limit our views of the world and ourselves and prevent us from living up to our full potential.
Trauma Affects On People
When a trauma is experienced by a person, it becomes locked into its own memory network in the brain exactly as it was initially experienced. It is accompanied with the visual images, physical sensations, tastes, smells, sounds and self-beliefs, as if frozen in time in the body and the mind or nervous system. One is not able to “process” the experience and because of this, any internal or external reminders of the trauma incident will cause the experience to flash into one’s consciousness in its original form. Trapped traumatic experiences form a block, acting like a broken record constantly repeating the experience over and over again in the body and mind.
In theory, the brain has a natural information-processing system that works toward keeping us in a balanced state of mental health, just as the body automatically goes into action to heal any physical wounds which is the body’s natural process. However, if something gets stuck in the wound, it will fester and resist healing. At an emotional level this “stuckness” will cause what is commonly known as Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) symptoms. Some examples of these symptoms may include flashbacks (re-experiencing the trauma in mind and body), nightmares, being hyper-alert to danger, anxiousness, denial or trauma, and intrusive thoughts where one is unable to escape the event.
How EMDR Works
Developed by Francine Shapiro in 1987, several theories have been developed to explain why it works. It is a complex treatment system with patterned bilateral stimulation – i.e., alternation of eye movements, hand taps, and sounds in alternating ears. It is integrated with traditional talk therapy to remove distorted beliefs and physical blockages. Remnants of the clients’ traumas, locked into their nervous systems in the forms of unprocessed images, disturbing memories and feelings, body sensations and thoughts, are targeted. Disturbances are brought to conscious awareness and processed during treatment. It is similar to how Rapid Eye Movement (REM) in dream sleep works. The bilateral movements help to process the blocked information, allowing the body and mind to release it. As the information is processed, at an accelerated pace, the disturbing information, thoughts, emotions, images, and body sensations are dissipated and spontaneously replaced with insight, understanding and an overall positive perspective, future outlook, and self-belief. When EMDR is integrated with use of image the healing results for the client can be profound. For more information please visit www.emdr.com
EFT
(Emotional Freedom Technique) is an emotional, needle–free version of acupuncture, that is based on new discoveries regarding the connection between your body’s subtle energies, your emotions, and your health. EFT has been reported successful in thousands of cases covering a huge range of emotional, health and performance issues, many of the same issues that EMDR addresses. EFT is simple to learn by anyone and once learned can be done easily at home without the aid of a practitioner. For information visit the EFT website www.emofree.com
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