Building Hope Counseling Services

Two weeks ago in our deep dive into EMDR, we looked at what trauma is and how it impacts the body. If you haven’t read this article yet check it out before you read this week’s!

It’s okay, I’ll wait.

*Jeopardy Theme Song*

Great, glad you’re back!

This week we are going to take an overview of EMDR, or Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing. Developed in the 1980s, EMDR has a growing body of research that is quickly proving it to be one of the most (if not THE most) effective trauma treatment we’ve got. 

What Is EMDR?

EMDR offers a way to release trauma from your nervous system so that you can move forward with your life. In EMDR we work to decrease the vividness of traumatic or distressing memories by engaging your body is something called bilateral stimulation, or BLS.

BLS is a process through which the left and right side of your nervous system are repeatedly and alternatingly activated through eye movement, tapping, or other stimulations like buzzers that you hold in your hands.

This process can be done in in person or in telehealth therapy and should only be done under the guidance of a trained EMDR mental health professional.

Don’t remember the event? That’s okay. Your body does. EMDR can be used to desensitize you to a specific event that you remember, or it can be used to decrease the intensity of triggers such as boredom in those struggling with addiction or discomfort in those struggling with chronic pain.

Uh, What? Make it Make Sense.

While there is a lot of research showing that EMDR and BLS are an effective way to reprocess trauma, we still do not entirely understand why or how this process is so healing. What we do know is that we are activating your body’s natural ability to heal itself.

Picture this – A pregnant person is walking. What is happening to the baby they are carrying? BLS.

A mother is trying to calm her newborn. She is quickly and repeatedly rocking the infant from side to side until they calm down. What is this? BLS.

A man is struggling at work. He stands up, stretches, and begins to pace his office. BLS.

Your friend loses a loved one. They are crying. You hold them and gently sway. B. L. S.

Humans naturally engage in BLS when stressed in an attempt to calm ourselves or a loved one. Our bodies are incredible.

Another theory of why BLS impacts the body is that we are activating the same part of your brain that is activated during your REM cycle. During your REM cycle, your brain processes information it has learned throughout the day, deciding which memories to keep and which to delete. Using BLS, your brain reprocesses information and helps you have a clearer picture of the traumatic or distressing event.

As I said, EMDR simply helps your body do the thing it already knows how to do – Heal.

Final Thoughts

Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing is a trauma therapy that uses bilateral stimulation to help the body heal itself. It is quickly becoming the gold stand in trauma treatment.

Healing is possible. I’ve seen it happen.

You don’t have to take my word for it, simply google “EMDR + whatever your presenting issue is” to see the growing amount of research that says that EMDR is effective in healing everything from attachment trauma to autoimmune disorders, from chronic pain to addiction, from acute traumatic experiences to chronic and continued stressful life events, on and on and on.

I wouldn’t be doing this job if I didn’t have hope, faith, and belief that this healing could happen for you too.

What else do you want to know about EMDR? Comment your questions to be featured in an upcoming article!

Take care of yourself today! Happy Healing.