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What is EMDR Therapy?

Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) therapy is an extensively researched, effective psychotherapy method proven to help people recover from trauma and other distressing life experiences, including PTSD, anxiety, depression, and panic disorders.  

 

EMDR provides relief from past stressful experiences by using back and forth movement called bilateral stimulation (eye movements, tones, or taps) to help the brain process and store stressful events or memories.  EMDR allows the brain to resume its natural healing process. 

 

Sometimes a stressful experience will be replayed in our minds, no matter how hard we try to push it away.  When distress from an upsetting event remains, the disturbing images, thoughts, physical responses, and emotions may create an overwhelming feeling of being back in that moment, or of being “frozen in time.” EMDR therapy helps the brain process these memories, and allows normal healing to resume. The experience is still remembered, but the fight, flight, or freeze response from the original event is resolved.

The result is feeling more calm, grounded, and regulated. EMDR assists people to now talk about the traumatic memory in a way that does not elicit intense anxiety, fear, and discomfort.Many people find relief as soon as 8 sessions.

Who can benefit from EMDR therapy?

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EMDR therapy helps children and adults of all ages. Therapists use EMDR therapy to address a wide range of challenges including:

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  • Anxiety, panic attacks, and phobias

  • Depression 

  • Chronic and persistent negative beliefs such as "There's something wrong with me" or "I am not worthy of love".  

  • Witnessing or exposure to violent acts or crimes

  • Sexual, emotional, and physical abuse or neglect

  • Car accident, house-fire, or another single incident disturbing event

  • Disturbing memories

  • Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and other trauma and stress-related issues

Break Free from the past with EMDR.
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