Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) is a powerful psychotherapeutic technique that has proven particularly effective in treating anxiety and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). These conditions, often rooted in traumatic experiences, can profoundly affect an individual’s daily life and mental health.
At Touchstone Trauma Therapy, we have witnessed remarkable transformations using EMDR to address these complex disorders. This blog explores how EMDR works and shares insights from our experiences with clients.
How EMDR Treats Anxiety and PTSD
EMDR therapy is based on the premise that the mind can heal from psychological trauma much as the body recovers from physical trauma. When you cut your hand, your body works to close the wound. If a foreign object or repeated injury irritates the wound, it festers and causes pain. Once the block is removed, healing resumes.
EMDR therapy demonstrates that a similar sequence of events occurs with mental processes. The brain’s information processing system naturally moves toward healing. However, sometimes this natural process gets disrupted by an overwhelming, terrifying, or traumatic event. The event can be a one-time occurrence or a type of life experience that is experienced over time, like a child living in a home where there is chronic tension, arguing, or abuse.
Key Elements of EMDR Therapy
- Identifying Traumatic Memories: One important step involves identifying the traumatic events that are causing the distress or anxiety associated with the disturbing memory or memories.
- Desensitization and Reprocessing: This phase is the core of EMDR. It focuses on the client’s disturbing emotions, negative cognitions, images, and body sensations associated with the traumatic memory, and pairs this with bilateral stimulation or “tapping”. This process begins to reduce the intensity of the trauma disturbance. New, more positive associations and connections begin to be made, and physical symptoms and emotionally distressing experiences begin to decrease.
- Installation of the Positive Cognition: In this phase, a new, more adaptive positive cognition is identified, and focused on while doing bilateral stimulation. This process helps to integrate the new cognitive associations and meanings that were gleaned during the Desensitization and Reprocessing phase.
Personal Experiences with Clients
In my practice, I have seen EMDR make a substantial difference for clients suffering from severe anxiety and PTSD. For instance, a client who survived a traumatic car accident was plagued by recurrent nightmares and could not step into a vehicle without experiencing panic attacks. After several sessions of EMDR, she reported a significant decrease in her anxiety and was eventually able to drive again. The nightmares also subsided, demonstrating the profound impact of processing those traumatic memories effectively.
Benefits of EMDR for Anxiety and PTSD
- Rapid Relief from Symptoms: Many clients experience relief from their symptoms more quickly than with traditional psychotherapy.
- Decrease in Overwhelming Emotions: Clients often find that their emotional distress related to specific memories diminishes or gets resolved when using EMDR.
- Restoration of Normal Functioning: As the distress from the traumatic memories eases, clients report feeling more like themselves and able to engage in daily activities without the heavy burden of their past.
- Post-Traumatic Growth: Some clients also begin to connect more fully with other aspects of themselves that were lying dormant under the trauma. New interests and hobbies are often pursued, or new relationships develop as an internal shift and a renewed more positive definition of self occurs. Self-esteem and a sense of self-love are common.
EMDR therapy offers a hopeful path for those struggling with anxiety and PTSD. By effectively processing traumatic memories, it allows individuals to find relief and regain control over their emotional lives. At Touchstone Trauma Therapy, we are committed to helping our clients navigate this journey with compassion and expertise.
Touchstone Trauma Therapy Can Help
If you or someone you know is struggling with anxiety or PTSD and looking for effective treatment, consider EMDR therapy. Contact us at Touchstone Trauma Therapy to learn more about how this therapy could be tailored to your specific needs and begin your path toward healing.
