How is EMDR different from other Therapy?

"EMDR therapy does not require talking in detail about the distressing issue or completing homework between sessions. EMDR therapy, rather than focusing on changing the emotions, thoughts, or behaviors resulting from the distressing issue, allows the brain to resume its natural healing process.

EMDR therapy is designed to resolve unprocessed traumatic memories in the brain. For many clients, EMDR therapy can be completed in fewer sessions than other psychotherapies." -EMDRIA

EMDR therapy helps children and adults of all ages. Therapists use EMDR therapy 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
• Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and other trauma and stress-related issues
• Sexual assault
• Sleep disturbance
• Substance abuse and addiction
• Violence and abuse

EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) is a therapeutic approach designed to help individuals process and heal from traumatic experiences, anxiety, or other emotional challenges. It uses bilateral stimulation, such as guided eye movements, to help the brain reprocess distressing memories, reducing their emotional charge and making them easier to manage. Through this process, clients can gain new perspectives on past events, leading to reduced emotional distress and improved mental well-being. EMDR is a structured, evidence-based therapy that has been shown to be effective for trauma and various mental health concerns.

According to EMDRIA (the EMDR International Association), EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) is an evidence-based therapy designed to help individuals process and heal from traumatic or distressing experiences. 

EMDR works by utilizing bilateral stimulation, such as guided eye movements, or tapping,  while the client focuses on memories or experiences that are causing emotional pain. 

This stimulation helps the brain reprocess these memories, reducing their emotional intensity and allowing for healthier, more adaptive responses. 

Through this process, negative beliefs and emotions tied to the memories are transformed, leading to healing and emotional resilience. EMDR is a structured approach that helps individuals move past trauma and achieve a sense of peace and well-being.

You still remember what happened, but it is less upsetting. EMDR seems similar to what occurs naturally during dreaming or REM (rapid eye movement) sleep. You see disturbing material in a new and less distressing way.

It was developed in the late 1980s by Dr. Francine Shapiro, a psychologist who discovered the potential therapeutic effects of bilateral stimulation while walking in a park. She noticed that her own distressing thoughts seemed to lessen as her eyes naturally moved back and forth. This observation led her to explore the idea further, eventually developing a structured therapy protocol designed to help people process trauma and other distressing memories.

Over time, Dr. Shapiro refined the method into a structured therapeutic protocol. EMDR was soon shown to be an effective treatment for trauma, and its use expanded to address a variety of mental health conditions, such as anxiety, depression, and phobias. Today, EMDR is recognized as an evidence-based treatment for trauma and is widely practiced around the world.

The American Psychiatric Association, the American Psychological Association, the International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies, the National Alliance on Mental Illness, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, the U.K. National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, the U.S. Dept. of Veterans Affairs/Dept. of Defense, The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, and the World Health Organization among many other national and international organizations recognize EMDR therapy as an effective treatment.