EMDR therapy has been proven through research that it helps people recover from trauma and other distressing life experiences. It helps the brain process the memories and allows healing – The experience is still remembered, but the fight, flight, or freeze response from the original event gets resolved.
It reconnects the traumatized person in a safe way to the images, thoughts, emotions, and body sensations associated with the trauma. Moving toward adaptive resolution by resolving unprocessed traumatic memories in the brain.
Counselors use EMDR to address a wide range of challenges:
- Anxiety, panic attacks, and phobias
- Chronic Illness and medical issues
- Depression and bipolar disorders
- Dissociative disorders
- Eating disorders
- Grief and loss
- Pain
- Performance anxiety
- Personality disorders
- PTSD and other trauma and stress-related issues
- Sexual assault
- Sleep disturbance
- Substance abuse and addiction
- Violence and abuse
There are a range of tools that could be used during EMDR such as a light bar, tactile devices, or virtual tools.