EMDR Therapy in South Jordan
EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) and an empirically researched method for addressing and resolving trauma. Sometimes we have trauma events that our brains try to process, but it gets stuck. We know it’s stuck because you often have a physical reaction to remembering that moment, like quick breathing, increased heart rate, or anxiety. These memories are uncomfortable, so we do all we can to push them down, try to forget, and move on with life. These efforts work – until they don’t. Usually, that’s when you realize you need a little more help.
EMDR works by bringing that memory to the prefrontal cortex so it can be processed again. This time, we utilize buzzers or eye movements that alternate left and right. That left and right movement activates the left and right hemispheres of the brain. This allows for the memory to be felt and experienced and then put away correctly so the emotional and physical triggers decrease.
For example, let’s say you were traumatized by a dog bite as a child and are terrified of dogs now. Your partner has a dog and you want to like dogs, but your brain freaks out every time one is near. With EMDR, you would hold the alternating buzzers while replaying in your mind the initial dog bite. You experience the terror and fear again, but in the safety of the office with me keeping you stable. Eventually that memory loses its reactivity and it just becomes another story in your life. You may remain cautious around dogs, but you’ll be much more comfortable around them.
I have personally seen EMDR do amazing things, surprising both me and clients. It can be challenging and scary to face the hard things in the past, but we’ll work together on strategies to help you recover and feel safe. Dave, the therapy dog, will be there as a warm and fuzzy companion. I always say that in reprocessing I want you to be uncomfortable, but not tortured.
For some folks, EMDR is too intense. Too much too fast. This is where we shift into IFS (Internal Family Systems) to slow down, build more internal support, and address concerns before visiting the memory.