This is a highly effective treatment that uses bilateral stimulation to treat Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and now other disorders where a person is hindered by past events. I have used Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) as an exciting and effective treatment since 2008. This treatment is especially helpful to those who have experienced a single traumatic event such as a car accident, an act of violence or a natural disaster; however, it is also helpful to those who were exposed more chronically to traumatic events over time. EMDR is recommended for the treatment of PTSD by both the American Psychiatric Association and the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs, among others. Researchers and clinicians are now finding EMDR effective for other disorders that seem rooted in troubling past events.
EMDR relies on bilateral stimulation of the brain through alternating eye movements while a client thinks about their traumatic memory and connects it with related feelings and body sensations. It helps clients move safely through the emotional processing of that event and on to more integrated, adaptive, and less distressing ways of relating to that experience.
As I state above, EMDR is an exciting treatment to experience. I have helped clients move from crippling shame, guilt and fear to thinking about the event without these stressful feelings and even to recognizing their own strengths and hopeful future. I use EMDR as a single mode of therapy or in conjunction with other talk therapies. To learn more about EMDR check out www.emdria.com or www.emdrnetwork.org.