EMDR

(Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing)

This is a trauma technique Bridget is trained in.

EMDR is a technique that uses bilateral stimulation—a vibration in one hand and then the other, sound in one ear and then the other, or visual you can track with your eyes that crosses the midline of your body—which elicits brain wave patterns similar to the ones your brain naturally experiences during REM cycle of sleep. These brain wave patterns help determine how to process and categorize information you took in from your experiences.

However, when you go through something really upsetting that sends your body into a “fight, flight, freeze response,” your brain is too busy trying to protect you, and is unable to process the information properly. You may have experienced feeling “re-triggered” by something that happened later on in life that reminds your body of that initial traumatic incident. That’s your brain and body telling you they haven’t had an adequate chance to process through the event so that it is no longer upsetting.

EMDR works to mimic those brain waves that you would have during REM while you are in a safer environment (like a therapy office), so that your mind and body can process the experience without going into ‘survival mode.’ These short bursts of EMDR bilateral stimulation while recalling events of the traumatic experience, punctuated with deep breathing and reconnecting with the present moment help to reduce the physiological responses in your body and the level of emotional distress you feel.

Not to worry, EMDR doesn’t wipe your memory! You’re still you, your past experiences are still part of your story. But they don’t have to hold you back!