EMDR stands for Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing. It is a therapy which was developed through the passionate and lifelong work of Francine Shapiro, PhD. It’s a fascinating story with a good ending!
During the late 1980’s, after a walk in a park, Dr. Shapiro observed that the distressing event she was thinking about no longer held the same emotional disturbance.
Always curious about the mind – body connection, Dr. Shapiro began to investigate the possible cause of this internal shift. The following question surfaced. Could the movement of her eyes back and forth be responsible for this unexpected, yet postive shift?
Intrigued, Dr. Shapiro set out to engage family members, friends and colleagues in the following exercise. She would ask them to think of something distressing while she moved her fingers horizontally in front of their eyes. The response from this group of individuals was indeed encouraging. They reported that their emotional distress did indeed diminish. Thankfully, Dr. Shapiro’s investigation didn’t stop there. She continued to pursue this hypothesis through rigorous research projects which have helped thousands of individuals around the world to shed the weight of the negative thoughts, images, sensations, memories of traumatic and distressing events.
Today EMDR is considered to be a first line treatment recommended for PTSD. However, it has also been shown to be an effective treatment for anxiety disorders, depression, grief and loss, low self esteem, insomnia as well as thoughts of I’m not good enough or I don’t matter,
How does EMDR work?
EMDR is a self healing and transformative process. The mind can heal itself!
Through a series of bilateral stimulation sets your brain begins to desensitize the image and emotions associated with the traumatic or distressing event. Once the emotional charge is dimished, your mind is prepared to accept a new perspective on the situation through a part of your brain which adaptively processes information.
Initially, hand movements were used, but with today’s technological advances, therapists may also use a light bar, hand held tappers, or head phones.
