Do you feel frustrated or troubled by disturbing thoughts, emotions, memories or body sensations? Do you notice patterns in your life that keep replaying themselves over and over but you can’t figure out how to change them no matter what you try?
Problems of these types generally are the result of negative past experiences that are improperly stored in our brains and bodies. Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) uses your mind’s natural processing system to help heal emotional pain and trauma in a deep way. I love this approach because it goes beyond traditional talk therapy techniques you might have had in the past and goes about the healing process completely differently (learn more about EMDR here). It’s also backed by decades of research and endorsed by a wide range of organizations for treatment of trauma and a vast array of issues.
But what if I don’t know the negative past experience or why I am having the problem at hand?
The good news is that your brain-body already have the memory network intact that we can tap into via whatever symptom is presenting itself so you don’t have to have to “know” it cognitively, your brain-body already does.
I just want to leave the past in the past.
It is totally normal to want to leave the past in the past (I wish we could truly do this!), however, the way God wired us is that your brain automatically tries to understand and make sense of your current life and immediate experiences, relationships, and your faith through the filter of your memory (your past). So your past is constantly, automatically being drawn upon as your brain interprets the present moment (you couldn’t stop it if you wanted to!). Sure, most of the time we don’t realize that we’re functioning out of past pains, disappointments, and relational injuries, but that’s because this autopilot we run on a day to day basis is largely subconsciously run (or below our awareness). EMDR helps get at this subconscious material that talk therapy has a hard time addressing, and that’s why it can lead to such rapid changes.
What if it feels to scary or overwhelming to remember the past?
If we are too overwhelmed with pain, anxiety, depression, or fear now to go into it, that’s okay too. That means we need to work on stabilization and on emotional regulation skills, building support systems, and focusing on building a strong, positive emotional foundation before moving forward. We can draw on your relationship with God as a resource or I can facilitate navigating through obstacles in your faith that feel overwhelming to do on your own. Once you’re feeling strong and ready, we can working on getting to the root of things.
Is EMDR right for me?
I’ve seen it help so many! EMDR has been most extensively utilized and researched in regards to PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder) but has been also helpful for the following issues:
- Anxiety, panic attacks, depression, schizophrenia, PTSD, dissociative disorders, OCD, phobias
- Destructive relational patterns (self-sabotage, abusive language, angry outbursts, attachment issues/disorders, emotional distancing or manipulation)
- Upsetting memories, trauma (assaults, car accidents, rape, etc) and complicated grief
- Negative self-image, negative self-talk
- Distance from God, spiritual blocks
- Physical issues, pain, fibromyalgia, IBS, and chronic fatigue
- Performance anxiety and performance expansion/enhancement
If you’re interested in seeing if EMDR is right for you or have other more questions for me, let me know. I always like to set up a 15 minute phone consultation to make sure we’d be the right fit before we get a session scheduled.