​EMDR: The Power to Transform Trauma

Have you ever experienced a situation from your past that keeps bothering you, no matter how long ago it happened? You may wonder why you can't seem to let go of it or move on. The answer lies in our physiological mechanisms, which try to lead us towards health and recovery. Just like our body works to heal physical injuries, our brain works to process emotional turmoil. However, when a particularly overwhelming event occurs, our brain may not be able to complete the processing in real-time. This results in the memory being stored in an unprocessed, raw form with sights, smells, voices, feelings, thoughts, and body sensations from the time it happened.

 

These memories are kept separate from the general memory network and stored in a "capsule" that does not have access to earlier or later memories. Without external intervention, the memory will remain in its raw form, and any external stimulus that touches its content may cause the content to "replay" in its raw form. This can cause intense feelings from the past to resurface in the present, despite the event happening years ago.

 

EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) is a research-supported psychotherapy approach that has helped countless individuals overcome the effects of traumatic experiences, anxiety, depression, and other emotional struggles. EMDR therapy is based on the Adaptive Information Processing (AIP) model, which suggests that traumatic memories are stored in the brain in a way that makes them difficult to process and integrate with other memories.

 

During EMDR therapy, your therapist will work with you to identify the traumatic memories or experiences that are causing distress in your life. They will guide you through a series of exercises that involve bilateral stimulation, such as eye movements or tapping, to activate both sides of the brain. By doing so, EMDR helps to process and integrate the traumatic memory with other, more adaptive memories.

 

As a result of EMDR therapy, many people experience a significant reduction in the emotional intensity of their traumatic memories, a decrease in the frequency of triggers, and an overall improvement in their ability to cope with the trauma. EMDR therapy is particularly effective for individuals who have difficulty talking about their traumatic experiences, as it allows them to process the memory without having to fully relive it.

 

At The Wellness Collective Centre, we offer EMDR therapy to help our clients overcome the effects of trauma and emotional distress. Our experienced therapists are trained in the EMDR approach and will work with you to create a safe and supportive environment for healing and recovery. If you're interested in learning more about EMDR therapy or scheduling an appointment, please contact us today.