What is EMDR Therapy?
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) therapy is an integrative psychotherapy approach. EMDR Therapy has been extensively researched and proven effective for treating various mental health disorders. It started and is most heavily researched in the treatment of trauma. EMDR is a set of standardized protocols incorporating elements from different treatment approaches to address the underlying cause of trauma.
How does EMDR work?
EMDR therapy uses bilateral stimulation to activate opposite sides of the brain. EMDR therapists often use eye movements to facilitate bilateral stimulation. These eye movements mimic the period of sleep referred to as rapid eye movement or REM sleep. This portion of sleep is frequently considered to be the time when the mind processes the recent events in the person’s life.
EMDR seems to help the brain reprocess the trapped memories, so that standard information processing is resumed. EMDR therapists often use it to help clients uncover and process beliefs developed from relational traumas, childhood abuse, and neglect. The use of EMDR therapy involves attention to three time periods: the past, present, and future. Memories of disturbing events from the past are reprocessed using bilateral stimulation, changing the emotional reactivity to the memory. As well as the negative thoughts about yourself that have developed due to the trauma. In EMDR therapy, current situations causing distress are also addressed to reduce the likelihood that this develops into chronic trauma. The future is addressed by developing the skills and attitudes needed to overcome difficult situations in the future successfully.
Symptoms of Trauma & PTSD
Trauma symptoms can present in many different ways, and each person experiences them differently. Some of the symptoms that someone with trauma may experience include:
- Avoiding specific locations, sights, situations, and sounds that serve as reminders of the event
- Anxiety, depression, or numbness
- Blaming yourself
- Feeling guilty for things that were not your fault
- Socially withdrawing
- Intrusive thoughts, nightmares, or flashbacks
- Visual images of the event
- Anger, irritability, and hypervigilance
- Aggressive, reckless behavior, including self-harm
- Sleep disturbances
- Loss of interest in activities that were once considered enjoyable
- Difficulty remembering details of the distressing event
- Change in habits or behavior since the trauma
- Mood swings
Depending on the combination and severity of a client’s symptoms, they may meet the criteria for PTSD.
What else can EMDR treat?
Initially, eye movement desensitization and reprocessing was developed as a treatment for PTSD. However, now it is used for a variety of different situations.
- Panic Attacks
- Complicated Grief
- Dissociative Orders
- Disturbing Memories
- Phobias
- Pain Disorders
- Performance Anxiety
- Addictions
- Stress Reduction
- Sexual and/or Physical Abuse
- Body Dysmorphic Disorders
- Personality Disorders
Is online EMDR therapy effective for trauma treatment?
EMDR was uncommonly performed through a virtual medium before COVID-19. Since the pandemic, people’s access to EMDR worldwide has expanded due to this forced change. Fortunately, it proves to be just as effective as in-person EMDR treatment. At The Mindful Practice, we use HIPAA-compliant software to conduct our sessions virtually. The therapist uses various techniques to apply the bilateral stimulation that is most comfortable for the client. From our Winter Park and Jacksonville, Florida offices, we can offer online EMDR therapy to anyone in Florida. From people living in Melbourne, Lake County, Kissimmee, Winter Garden, Tampa, Fort Lauderdale, Miami, Pensacola, Tallahassee, Key West, and beyond.
None of the above symptoms or experiences fit you?
Do you experience excessively distressing emotions? Do you tend to be highly reactive to specific triggers? Is there one or more dysfunctional beliefs you believe about yourself that you know are not accurate on an intellectual level? If so, you may still be a good candidate for EMDR therapy.
Contact us today for a free phone consultation to see if EMDR might help you release what no longer serves you.
Are you ready to begin EMDR therapy in Jacksonville and Orlando, FL?
At The Mindful Practice, we use eye movement desensitization and reprocessing for a variety of situations including trauma therapy, stress reduction, and more. Our EMDR therapists in Winter Park and Jacksonville will walk you through the process of processing trapped memories. In order to start EMDR therapy follow these steps.
- Contact us to speak to an EMDR therapist
- Have your first EMDR appointment at The Mindful Practice
- Reduce your emotional reactivity to emotions.
Other Counseling Services At The Mindful Practice in Jacksonville and Winter Park, FL
In addition to EMDR therapy, we also utilize mindfulness-based cognitive therapy at our Jacksonville and Winter Park, FL-based therapy practice. We utilize these for anxiety treatment, depression treatment, and social anxiety disorder treatment. In addition to, bariatric surgery counseling, trauma therapy, and PTSD treatment. You can also receive life transitions therapy, grief counseling, and therapy for teens with our Jacksonville and Orlando therapists. Whether you are in Orlando, Tampa, or somewhere in between we can help you with online therapy in Florida.