You don't have to understand everything before you begin. Sometimes healing begins with simply noticing what is there.
What is EMDR Therapy?
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) therapy is an integrative psychotherapy approach that has been extensively researched and proven effective for the treatment of trauma. EMDR is a set of standardized protocols that incorporate elements from different treatment approaches.
How does EMDR work?
EMDR therapy uses a technique called Bilateral Stimulation, or BLS, to repeatedly activate opposite sides of the brain. Therapists originally used 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 and neutralizes recent or distressing events in the person’s life. Present day, and specifically at Tunnel Light Therapy, brain activation is most often stimulated by way of gentle and consistent vibrations from a set of small buzzers that conveniently fit in a client's hand.
EMDR helps the brain reprocess trapped memories in such a way that normal information processing is resumed. Therapists often use EMDR to help clients uncover and process beliefs that developed as the result of relational traumas, childhood abuse and/or neglect, environmental disasters, military service, etc. For a more detailed explanation please visit the EMDR Institute, Inc.
What does EMDR help?
EMDR had been originally established as helpful for PTSD and C-PTSD (Complex Post-Trauamatic Stress Disorder), although it’s been proven useful for treatment for the following conditions:
- Panic Attacks
- Generalized Anxiety
- Depression
- Complicated Grief
- Dissociative Orders
- Disturbing Memories
- Phobias
- Pain Disorders
- Performance Anxiety
- Addictions
- Stress Reduction
- Sexual and/or Physical Abuse
- Body Dysmorphic Disorders
- Personality Disorders
- Chronic Pain
What Is Brainspotting?
During Brainspotting, we work together to identify a particular point in your visual field that seems connected to an emotion, sensation, memory, or internal experience. You are invited to notice what happens internally while maintaining your attention on that point.
Rather than requiring you to repeatedly tell the entire story of a difficult experience, Brainspotting can provide another way of engaging with what you are experiencing.
Your experience remains at the center of the process. There is no requirement to force a memory, relive an experience, or produce a particular emotional response.
What Can Brainspotting Be Used For?
Brainspotting may be incorporated into therapy for a variety of concerns and experiences, including:
- Trauma and difficult life experiences
- Anxiety and emotional distress
- Stress and feeling overwhelmed
- Grief and loss
- Relationship difficulties
- Persistent emotional reactions
- Performance concerns
- Feeling “stuck” despite understanding an issue intellectually
- Experiences that feel difficult to put into words
At Tunnel Light Therapy, I offer EMDR & Brainspotting as two of several different therapeutic approaches that may be used to support your individual healing process.
Sometimes we understand what happened to us, but understanding it doesn't necessarily mean our body and nervous system have finished processing the experience. If you are looking for relief and resolution, EMDR and Brainspotting are two of the most effective means for getting you there.