EMDR - Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing
EMDR is a technique used to help patients process and heal from traumatic experiences. It is typically used to treat PTSD; in fact, the US Department of Veterans Affairs and Department of Defense list it as a “best practice” in treating traumatized veterans. It can also help treat other mental health disorders that involve traumatic memories.
How Does EMDR Work?
Scientists are coming to understand that the brain stores normal and traumatic memories differently. Normal memories are easy to recall and networked with other memories. During a traumatic situation, however, the brain can go “offline” and fail to network traumatic memories, causing a disconnect between what you experience and what you remember.
The traumatic memory can feel like an internal wound that hasn’t been given the chance to heal. Triggers that remind you of the traumatic experience can cause the memory to come rushing back to the surface in a “PTSD flashback.” You feel as if you’re reliving the terrible experience over and over.
In EMDR therapy, your therapist uses bilateral stimulation, meaning sensory stimulation on both sides of your body, to effectively distract your brain. Usually, this involves moving your eyes back and forth, but it can also involve playing sounds that shift from one ear to the other or alternately tapping your left and right arms.
​
With your brain distracted, you can recall the traumatic memory easier and start to process it and heal. Over time, remembering it will no longer feel like reliving it, which helps you finally close the wound.
What Can EMDR Treat?
Though EMDR was developed to treat PTSD, doctors are discovering other uses of it to treat:
-
Dissociative disorders
-
Eating disorders
-
Gender dysphoria
​
Be aware that EMDR only works to help process traumatic memories. If your mental health condition is not related to specific memories, other techniques will be more helpful.
​
At Elevated Healing Treatment Centers in Woodland Hills, we offer EMDR for patients in need. Contact us if you’re having difficulty with PTSD or any of the other disorders listed above.