Eye Movement Desensitization
& Reprocessing (EMDR) Therapy
Trauma & Grief Institute
© 2024, Trauma & Grief Institute
Eye Movement Desensitization & Reprocessing (EMDR) is an evidence-based therapy approach which can be helpful with symptoms of anxiety, pain, and PTSD. It can also address childhood traumatic experiences such as peer bullying or caregiver abuse, or acute trauma like a car accident.
The result of EMDR is the ability to recall a memory with lower emotional upset & with gained insight to the event. EMDR involves the use of eye movements, tapping, or hand buzzers while focusing on a specific thought/feeling/body memory sensation to transform the event on an emotional level and create adaptive neural network connections.
Similar to using a map to get from point A to point B, during EMDR the client's system navigates its way through time, updating itself with new connections. Sometimes an unexpected detour happens or the driver decides to take the scenic route. That's ok because all roads are connected.