Emergence Counselling and Wellness Services
Healing with EMDR Therapy in BC
Navigating Trauma with a Skilled EMDR Therapist
Counselling services in BC
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What is EMDR?
EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) is a powerful and evidence-based psychotherapy approach developed to treat trauma and other distressing life experiences. It has been extensively researched and proven effective for the treatment of trauma. EMDR is a set of standardized protocols that incorporates elements from many different treatment approaches.
Unlike traditional talk therapy, EMDR Therapy directly addresses the way traumatic memories are stored in the brain. Working with a trained EMDR therapist, individuals engage in bilateral stimulation, such as eye movements, taps, or sounds, which helps to reprocess these memories, reducing their emotional intensity and allowing for the development of more adaptive coping mechanisms.
This process, guided by the expertise of an EMDR therapist, can lead to significant relief from symptoms like anxiety, flashbacks, and negative beliefs, ultimately fostering healing and resilience.
The EMDR Therapy Process
EMDR is a phase-oriented treatment that takes place over 8 steps/phases. The 8 phases are initial history discovery and treatment planning, preparation, assessment, desensitization, installation, body scan, closure, and reevaluation
The complete treatment of a target involves a 3 pronged protocol involving the reprocessing of past memories, present disturbances and future behaviours.
Working With an EMDR Therapist
Working with an EMDR therapist often presents a different experience compared to traditional talk therapy. While building a strong therapeutic relationship remains crucial, the focus shifts towards directly processing traumatic or distressing memories using bilateral stimulation. Instead of primarily discussing and analyzing past events, sessions with an EMDR therapist involve guided eye movements, tapping, or auditory cues while you briefly focus on aspects of the target memory.
This unique approach aims to help the brain reprocess the memory in a less distressing way, leading to reduced emotional reactivity and the integration of more adaptive beliefs.
The EMDR therapist acts as a facilitator, guiding you through this reprocessing while ensuring you remain grounded and in control throughout the process, rather than solely relying on verbal exploration and insight.
EMDR Therapy as an Effective Approach for Trauma and PTSD
EMDR therapy has emerged as a highly effective approach for treating trauma and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) due to its direct impact on how traumatic memories are stored and processed in the brain.
Unlike therapies that primarily rely on verbal recounting of the traumatic event, EMDR treatment utilizes bilateral stimulation to facilitate the brain’s natural healing processes. This allows individuals to reprocess distressing memories without the need for extensive exposure or detailed narration, which can be overwhelming and re-traumatizing for some.
By targeting the emotional and sensory components of traumatic memories, EMDR counselling helps to reduce their vividness and emotional charge, leading to significant decreases in PTSD symptoms such as flashbacks, nightmares, avoidance behaviours, and hyperarousal.
The ability of EMDR therapy to achieve these results relatively efficiently, often in fewer sessions than traditional talk therapy for trauma, makes it a valuable and empowering option for individuals seeking a way to work through their traumatic experiences.
Frequently Asked Questions About EMDR Counselling
How does EMDR trauma therapy help?
Traumatic experiences changes our nervous system and it goes in a state of “high alert”. As a result, we experience flashbacks, anxiety, and distressing memories when reminded of the event. Avoiding people, places, situations, and/or things that remind of the event, becomes a way in which we deal with the experience.
Traumatic experiences also shatter our assumptions of how the world operates or how life is. For example, before the traumatic event you may think “I am safe”. However, after a traumatic event our beliefs are shaken and we can start thinking “I am unsafe”, “I am helpless” and so on. You may be trying to logically tell yourself that this is not true, perhaps your family is telling that this is not true, but these beliefs are “stuck” in your nervous system and you are feeling distress. EMDR helps us to resolve the trauma and shift our beliefs.
What are common reasons clients come for EMDR therapy?
Scientific research has established EMDR as an effective treatment for post-traumatic stress. Clinicians also report success using EMDR with issues like Panic Attacks, Complicated Grief, Dissociative Disorders, Disturbing Memories, Phobias, Pain Disorders, Performance Anxiety, Stress Reduction, Addictions, Sexual and/or Physical Abuse, Body Dysmorphic Disorders, Personality Disorders, Mood Disorders, and others.
How can I prepare for the sessions?
The most important first step in EMDR, and trauma therapy in general, is ensuring that you have strategies and skills that you can use to manage the painful feelings and memories that may emerge in therapy. It is only when you and your EMDR therapist decide that you are ready you can move on to the traumatic memories. The goal is to empower you and help you face the painful memories in small pieces and at a pace that is manageable for you and not overwhelming.
What can I expect during sessions? Traumatic memories seem too painful to have to go through, do I need to re-live them?
The actual reprocessing of the memory is helped by bilateral eye movements, tactile, or auditory stimulations, while you are thinking about it. In a way that we do not fully understand, the intense memories and feelings become less distressing and lose their charge. EMDR does not erase the memories but makes them feel like something from the past that does not affect you strongly as before.
How long will it generally take? What if I have multiple traumatic events to deal with?
It depends on a number of factors, including how many traumas you have had. In general, the more traumas you have experienced the longer the therapeutic process. You and your therapist can decide together on which memories to process and in what order. People usually report positive changes in few sessions.
Heal from Trauma and PTSD: Schedule Your EMDR Treatment Online
Taking the first step can be difficult and we are here to support you. Olivia, Cynthia, Nicole, Rose and Valentina are all highly skilled EMDR therapists specializing in trauma and PTSD and are accepting new clients. They offer a powerful and proven approach to healing, helping you reprocess distressing memories and reclaim your life. Take the courageous step towards a brighter future.
Book your EMDR treatment online today and connect with a therapist who understands your journey. Alternatively, contact our office, and we’ll help you find the perfect match. Your healing can begin now.