EMDR to Treat Trauma & Anxiety

EMDR & Trauma

Trauma in its many forms and intensities can have a profound impact on an individual’s life, from low anxiety to a range of psychological and emotional difficulties. Thankfully there are modern treatments that are both fast and effective.  One is called Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing, or “EMDR”.

Originally developed in the 1980s by Francine Shapiro, EMDR therapy has become widely considered to be one of the best treatments for trauma and other disturbing experiences by organizations such as the American Psychiatric Association, the World Health Organization, and the Department of Defense. It is a form of psychotherapy that helps alleviate the distress associated with traumatic memories such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) .

What is EMDR?

EMDR is a structured therapy with eight steps that encourages the patient to briefly focus on the trauma memory while simultaneously experiencing bilateral stimulation, typically eye movements. Unlike other treatments that focus on directly altering the emotions, thoughts, and responses resulting from traumatic experiences, EMDR therapy focuses directly on the memory and is intended to change the way that the memory is stored in the brain, thus reducing, and eliminating the problematic symptoms.

This process is believed to help the brain reprocess the traumatic memory in a more adaptive way, leading to a reduction in the distress associated with the memory.

EMDR can help with:

• Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
• Anxiety disorders such as generalized anxiety disorder, panic disorder, phobias, and social anxiety/phobia
• Depression: EMDR has been proven to reduce rumination in patients with traumatic grief and may be helpful with depression
• Eating disorders
• Performance anxiety
• Personality disorders
• Grief and loss
• Pain

Counseling with EMDR

EMDR therapy is done in a safe and controlled environment, leading to a reduction in the distress associated with the memory. Therapy is typically delivered one to two times per week for a total of 6-12 sessions. The focus of therapy involves attention to three time periods: the past, present, and future.

EMDR therapy is less stressful than other forms of therapy because it focuses on processing and moving past your trauma, rather than changing the emotions, thoughts, or behaviors resulting from the distressing issue. EMDR therapy is effective for children and adults of all ages.

EMDR is available at Bellevue Family Counseling. Email us for more information. Brendan Seibert and Whitnee Chavez are trained in EMDR on our team.