Although life can be a journey full of happiness and success, it also has its fair share of difficulties and traumas.
Managing many challenges in life leaves us with long-lasting memory scars that can be hard to repair effectively. Sometimes, these scars make us feel overwhelmed, and other times, they make us act erratically, especially when talking about them seems too overwhelming. Thus, a number of cutting-edge and successful therapies, such as Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), are gaining popularity due to their therapeutic methods and outcomes.
In this blog, we will briefly discuss how EMDR can be a valuable tool for those seeking recovery from depression, anxiety, and other distressing conditions.
History & Understanding of EMDR:
EMDR is a psychotherapy technique that was developed by Dr. Francine Shapiro in the late 1980s. Unlike conventional therapies, EMDR uses bilateral stimulation, typically in the form of guided eye movements, to help reprocess and desensitize traumatic memories. Bilateral movements engages the brain to reprocess content similar to the eye movements during REM sleep or when walking. The difference between going for a walk or sleeping is that EMDR targets specific unintegrated beliefs with the added safety of a therapist alongside the journey.
In simple words, EMDR is a groundbreaking therapy that offers a beacon of hope for those grappling with the shadows of their past. As a gold-star treatment, EMDR provides a pathway to healing without the need for exhaustive verbal recounting of traumatic events. This innovative approach has transformed the landscape of mental health, offering relief and recovery to countless individuals.
● EMDR Processing Sessions take up to 90 minutes. less sessions are required over time compared to talking therapies that require language, recognition and decision making.
● Imagery and relaxation strategies are set up for calming the nervous system before processing begins during at least a minimum of two 60 minute sessions.
● Discussion of what happened is limited to a minimum.
● EMDR has been extensively investigated and found to be efficacious in treating PTSD, anxiety disorders, and other trauma-related disorders by many health agencies.
Integrating EMDR with Other Family Counseling Services
When families face intergenerational trauma or situational crises, EMDR can become a crucial part of overall family recovery. It does not require lengthy conversations about painful events and hence suits both adults and children. Underlying emotional as well as psychological issues can be addressed by EMDR. EMDR can be complimentary to complex family issues by allowing space for each individual to heal without blame, guilt or reliance on other family members to change.
Success Stories
Family Relief has worked with many clients through the use of EMDR. These include issues related to parenting, separation, conflict, fear, anger and loss. A plan for care that would normally have taken up to 16 sessions over the space of a year to explore personal beliefs and values have been addressed in 8 sessions or less. This is because sometimes the effects of EMDR targets impact not just a single memory but are often generalisable to more recent events and even worries for the future. So when a target memory is integrated it will connect with other thoughts leading to ease in hopes for the future.
The important thing to remember when considering EMDR is that every persons experience of it will be different because memories will be encoded differently.
Conclusion
EMDR is considered a gold-star therapy for those who cannot communicate about their traumas. It is an exceptional and priceless contribution to the mental health industry, being capable of reprocessing traumatizing memories without the need for in-depth talk. EMDR provides an opportunity for healing families that are looking for pre-FDR family relief, which can lead to significant improvements in personal well-being and family dynamics.