Specialties
What is EMDR?
EMDR stands for Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing and is a form of psychotherapy developed by Francine Shapiro in 1988. EMDR has decades of research behind it now and is considered to be an evidenced based form of therapy because it is that effective. EMDR therapy is recommended by many of the leading mental health organizations around the world.
I find that EMDR accelerates people’s healing process beyond talk therapy alone and incorporates somatic work to integrate the mind and body. During the process we explore the root of unhelpful beliefs, relieve distress and build self-compassion.
What is EMDR used for?
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Traumatic or distressing memories
- Uncovering the reason for getting activated in situations now that don’t make sense anymore
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Accidents (car, workplace etc.)
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Performance anxiety
- Fears and self-worth
- Flight or driving anxiety
- Grief and loss
- And more
Sometimes you don’t know the weight of something you’ve been carrying until you feel the weight of its release
How does emdr work?
EMDR stimulates brain changes. When a distressing or traumatic incident occurs, the brain is often unable to process and store the experience as it typically would. Instead the incident can get stuck in the brain. Symptoms like anxiety, panic, low self-esteem, sadness, and fear are often signs of unprocessed traumatic or distressing experiences. EMDR utilizes bilateral stimulation, commonly through eye movements or physical movement such as tapping, to activate both sides of the brain and reprocess the incident. EMDR can be effective without you having to share full details about what happened or retell a story and instead uses a snapshot of the memory to begin.