Moving Past The Past

I’m sort of an information junky and hope my education and training will never end.    Recently, in my practice in San Diego, CA I have been trained in some exciting new techniques including: EMDR.  Here is the skinny:

EMDR is  Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing.

  • It was developed in 1989 by psychologist Francine Shapiro.
  • EMDR is the  most researched effective treatment for  trauma and  Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).

When a person experiences a disturbing event they are often unable to make sense of the event and it can get stuck as an injury that never fully heals.  The event can impact them in many subtle and overt areas of functioning.

Talk therapy may help someone understand they can think differently about the event, for example someone who got into a car accident can understand in their head that each time they get into a car does not mean they will crash.  However, sometimes the feelings of trauma are still stuck in non verbal memory.  A survivor of a car accident may have muscle memory and feel tense, every time they get into a car.  EMDR can help the healing process and allow survivors to experience more control.  One unique  aspect of EMDR is that sharing all the details about the traumatic event is not necessary.  For people who are more private but still want to move past their past, EMDR can be very helpful because all of the healing is done inside one’s own head.  This gives the client control in the process and if they wish only to share minimal details with their EMDR therapist they can still make a full recovery.

While more complex trauma can take time to treat,  single incident trauma is often effective in just 1-3 EMDR sessions!

Is my “trauma traumatic enough?”

Sometimes people hear the word trauma and wonder if their stuck experience is EMDR worthy.   Common trauma can include: accidents, dog bites, combat, childhood abuse or neglect, domestic violence, witnessing death or being concerned for one’s own life and safety.    Yet, even “small trauma’s” such as being bullied as a child can be resolved with EMDR.  Treatment for anxiety, panic attacks, grief, addictions, and even performance enhancement can be helped with EMDR.

Wonder if EMDR can help you or someone you know?  Call 800.383.1790

 

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