Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR)

Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) is a method by which clinicians are able to reduce high levels of disturbance that people develop from a variety of situations and circumstance. These include concrete and abstract experiences, such as physical or emotional trauma, and less well defined experiences, like the experience of incongruence that is intrinsic to depression, or eating disorders. Once thought to be primarily for the treatment of trauma and PTSD, EMDR is now considered one of the most effective non-traditional psychodynamic therapies for conditions that range from mood disorders to grief. The process involves the activation of bilateral brain stimulation through eye movement, or auditory or tactile stimulation, while focusing attention on the intense emotion or disturbance. Through repeated exposure, EMDR reduces the disturbance, and associated recurring thoughts, images, and feelings. This allows for processing to occur, allowing the person to become “Unstuck,” and have new associations that are no longer tied to the original experience.

EMDR is used for:
Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), mood disorders, anxiety disorders, somatoform disorders, sleep disorders, eating disorders, body dysmorphic disorders, and chronic pain