Eye-Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR)
“Why am I triggered over something so small?”
I hear this often from my clients.
A trigger is a smell, sound, or sight that causes you to have negative feelings such as sadness, anxiety, or nervousness. This can happen multiple times a day and is a negative experience no one welcomes.
A trigger can happen by glancing over someone’s Facebook posts, having a conversation with a family member, smelling a sterile hospital, or driving past a certain location.
It feels like your body is being hijacked, and unpleasantness takes over no matter how much you try to reason it away.
The authentic me feels locked up…
Most women know something is wrong when they have the intellectual knowledge to overcome an issue, but their body poses resistance.
Past painful experiences can rob us from enjoying the present moment. Hurtful moments from your childhood can be the culprit for many current day triggers. This might have stemmed from an over-critical parent or an event where you felt helpless.
You may find yourself holding back from pursuing goals, not having the intimate relationship you desire, or an inability to connect.
You long for resolution but just don’t know how to achieve it.
I offer two kinds of EMDR. Let me tell you about them…
EMDR, no matter the venue, is an extensively researched technique that has been proven effective for the treatment of past stressful events. I offer both traditional EMDR therapy in an office setting… or Equine Connected EMDR (EC-EDMR), which involves mounted work on a horse.
In-Office EMDR
What is EMDR?
EMDR is a therapeutic process which activates our brain’s natural ability to change how a memory is stored. This is great news since most of our triggers come from memories being stored improperly in the brain.
Memories can then be understood from an adult perspective where resolution is achieved, and the triggers are resolved. This goes beyond coping strategies, reframing our thoughts, or mindfulness, because the changes are from a cellular level.
Am I going to be bad at it?
A concern some clients have is that they are going to “do” EMDR wrong. This is a normal concern and one that does not need to rob you of your precious energy. You are going to do great.
How can it help me?
EMDR helps to put painful memories firmly in the past by using back and forth eye movements or tappers you hold in your hands. I follow a specific protocol which allows you to work through the memory, and through the process the memory loses its negative influence over your life. This allows you to be more fully present in your life leaving the past where it should be.
EC-EMDR
Here, the horse’s movement provides the bilateral stimulation (which is typically provided by eye movements or tappers in an office setting). The horse is not just a therapeutic tool, but an active part of the EMDR healing process. Sessions typically take place in a round pen with the client mounted on the horse or walking alongside the horse. Relational connection with both the horse and therapist provides support and safety for reprocessing to successfully occur.
EMDR therapy has helped millions of people of all ages…
… relieve many types of psychological stress… and it can help you.
Living with residual effects from painful past experiences is exhausting and robs us from so much joy. It is my hope you will reach out for help to be freed from issues such as:
Panic attacks
Complicated Grief
Dissociative disorders
Phobias
Pain disorders
Abuse (sexual, physical, emotional, mental)
Body dysmorphic disorders
Pain disorders
High levels of stress
Performance anxiety
Addictions
EMDR can help process through childhood hurt, ranging from something common like growing up never feeling good enough to as severe as having an abusive parent. People having experienced car accidents, intense loss, and abuse will all find immense benefits as well.
EMDR can help you make sure you’re reacting to the present moment in front of you… rather than out of a historical well of pain and negative emotions brought to the surface by these triggers.
EMDR can even help improve your relationships…
We all experience reactivity to some degree. Increased heartrate, sweat begins to form, you can’t seem to find the right words.
Reactivity and anxiety become problematic when our bodies are sending warning signs indicating a threat when there isn’t actual danger. This happens in relationships as well (especially our closest relationships).
It can help teens become less reactive to their parents, and, even more importantly, help parents be less reactive to their teens.
It can help spouses communicate more clearly and deeply. It can help many other relationships thrive, because you aren’t being weighed down by physiological reactivity.
The goal of EMDR therapy is to process completely the experiences that are causing problems and to include new ones that are needed for you to thrive. Complete treatment of the negative past event involves a 3-part protocol:
- Past memories: We target the painful memory that seems to be bothering you. If you aren’t sure which memory it is, don’t worry. I help guide you to the “right memory” to tackle.
- Present disturbance: This step involves noticing what’s going on currently in your body when you’re thinking about the identified memory. This is how we deactivate the left-over activation in your body leaving it clear from unnecessary triggers.
- Future actions: Once the negative impact is removed, we replace it with truthful and positive insights which you will want to take with you into the future. It is a life-giving process which will serve you and your relationships well.
The amount of time needed to complete treatment will depend on your history and what your specific goals are. A one-time traumatic event such as a car accident will require a much shorter treatment as opposed to someone wanting to work through complex developmental childhood trauma. We will discuss your goals together and develop a custom plan to meet your specific desires.
Are you ready to leave your past where it belongs…
… and start living the beautiful life you desire?
Call me today for a free 20-minute consultation to see if EMDR is the right fit for you: (678) 744-9183.
I can’t wait to hear from you and be a part of your healing journey.