Trauma and EMDR Therapy

Trauma

Trauma is something that is done to you, it is not something that you have chosen. It has a long reach and can affect one in lasting ways that can span many years. Trauma can show up in the anxiety and stress that we carry in our body, as well as the relationships that we have with others. It can also show up unexpectedly and intensely after years of being under the radar.

I have worked extensively with trauma over the years and consider myself a trauma-informed therapist. My approach is to create an environment of safety and calm, so that we can work toward bringing down the intensity of your symptoms. I think it is important to create this environment of safety both in the therapy session, as well as outside the session. I feel that by using a holistic approach of working with our thoughts, emotions, body sensations, and interpersonal boundaries, a sense of oneself can begin to take root. For some, creating some change in how they are relating to their symptoms and working with the body is the piece that creates some lasting change.

EMDR

EMDR stands for Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing. EMDR is a body-centered therapy technique that emphasizes the body in the processing of trauma. It was developed by Francine Shapiro, and in its original form, it used eye movements as a part of processing trauma. It As the model was developed further, it was found that it wasn’t only eye movements that were found to be effective, it was the bilateral stimulation from one side of the body to the other. I sometimes use EMDR in my work with trauma when there is a particular event that could use some reprocessing. I have seen that EMDR can be effective when utilizing bilateral stimulation even when not in person.