EMDR Therapy
EMDR is a kind of trauma therapy which uses bilateral stimulation to process trauma.
Trauma is often speechless and cannot easily be grasped in words. Talking therapy can therefore at times seem limited. EMDR can help when words and language cannot access those very painful realms of trauma.
There are some similarities between EMDR and the REM phase of sleep. During this phase, the back-and-forth movement of our eyes helps us process emotional experiences. Similarly, EMDR uses such back-and-forth movement to process traumatic memories.
EMDR decreases the emotional charge of traumatic memories, and their persistent ways of showing up in triggers, flashbacks and nightmares. These memories become what they should be, - memories of the past rather than intrusive experiences in the present.
