Tree of Life Wellness Services, LLC  

treeoflifewellness@gmail.com

EMDR, or Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing is a specific type of therapy that can much more rapidly bring about healing than regular talk therapy.  Initially EMDR was used primarily for trauma, but now is being successfully used for a wide variety of issues.

What can EMDR help with?

1. •Anxiety
   

2. •Depression
   

3. •Grief and loss
   

4. •Self-esteem
   

5. •Work or sports performance enhancement
   

6. •Weight loss/body image
   

7. •Disturbing memories/trauma
   

8. •Old mental “tapes” or repeat patterns in thoughts and/or behavior
   

How does it work?

EMDR uses elements from many therapeutic approaches in combination with eye movements, taps, or sounds which stimulate both sides of the brain and allow the brain’s natural healing to be “unstuck”.  When someone is very upset or traumatized, their brain doesn’t process information as it usually does and information gets “stuck”; which means remembering a trauma can feel as if it were happening again. 

EMDR activates the brain’s natural healing and information-processing system.  After EMDR, the person is still able to think about whatever was troubling them, but it is significantly less upsetting.  Often people feel “freed up” and a sense of empowerment, action, or acceptance.  Some hypothesize that EMDR works similarly to REM or rapid eye movement sleep, where the eyes move during dreams to help the brain process daily life events.

What is an EMDR session like?

Typically in the beginning of an EMDR session we will spend a few minutes mapping out what we want to accomplish during the session.  We’ll work together to choose a target memory or issue for you to think about during the EMDR and we’ll identify any related thoughts about yourself that this represents.

During EMDR we’ll do a series of sets of either tapping or eye movements while you think about the target that we picked.  Usually sets last about 30 seconds to a minute and then we stop and briefly talk about what came to your mind during the set.  Often during EMDR people say they think about different aspects of the target memory or the related thoughts, and may feel related emotions.

EMDR is an incredibly powerful mode of therapy and can be very helpful in a variety of situations.  I am a Level 2 EMDR practitioner; contact me to talk about if EMDR could help you.  Or click here for more information about EMDR.