We’ve all had disturbing life experiences, things that have affected us deeply. We may have been in a car accident or have been the victim of crime or abuse. We may have had experiences that have caused us to fear or avoid certain situations, or feel badly about ourselves. Sometimes Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) can develop. When that's the case, it often seems like anything that reminds us of that experience is felt very strongly, out of proportion to the actual situation. That's because of the way the brain stores disturbing and traumatic memories. They don’t fade over time like other memories. They get stuck. They are re-experienced full strength, sometimes in the form of nightmares or flashbacks, or as unusually strong reactions to people or situations. EMDR can help the brain process those memories so they fade and become less emotionally charged. This process can often achieve results much more quickly than ordinary talk therapy can.

Often times, these disturbing life experiences have occurred during childhood, in many cases over a long period of time, but sometimes just once or twice. Even though we may not be thinking about these events in our day-to-day lives, they can continue to affect us without our awareness, causing us to have poor self-esteem, unsatisfying relationships, depression, anxiety, or a general lack of fulfillment and happiness with our lives.

EMDR stands for Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing. Moving your eyes from side to side stimulates both sides of your brain, and helps your brain make new connections. It helps the logical, rational side of your brain communicate with the part where the memories are stuck, and facilitates the development of emotional resolution. It helps you let go of the disturbance and put the memories in the past where they belong. For more information on EMDR, please visit the EMDR International Association’s website at http://www.emdria.org/.