What is EMDR?
EMDR is a different kind of therapy, discovered in 1987 by Francine Shapiro while she was walking through a park one day. She discovered that moving her eyes back and forth reduced her feelings about negative memories. Since then EMDR research shows that it is effective for many mental illnesses, trauma, and negative thinking and works faster than talk therapy alone.
EMDR focuses on the brain’s ability to constantly learn, taking past experiences, and updating them with present information.
Adaptive learning is constantly updating memory network systems.
Past emotionally-charged experiences often interfere with your updating process.
EMDR breaks through that interference and helps let go of the past and update your experiences to a healthier present perspective.
EMDR uses a set of procedures to organize your negative and positive feelings, emotions, and thoughts, and then uses bilateral stimulation, such as eye movements or alternating tapping, as the way to help you effectively work through those disturbing memories.
EMDR uses rapid sets of eye movements to help you update disturbing experiences, much like what occurs when we sleep. During sleep, we alternate between regular sleep and REM (rapid eye movement). This sleep pattern helps you process things that are troubling you.
EMDR works without having to tell the entire story in detail, like most talk therapies.
EMDR can be done in person or online. The client needs a laptop or device with a large screen to do EMDR online.