What is EMDR? And how does it work?

Such a legit question. I get this question all the time. One, because EMDR sounds weird and also because no one can remember what the acumen is. EMDR stands for Eye Movement Desensitizing Reprocessing. It's a research based method for desensitizing memories and sensations that caused our brain to create a neural pathway for survival instead of calm and harmony. For example: Someone has a frightening experience as a child, or even last week, and their brain said, "This is something you need to survive." Their body went through the process of preparing for survival. This made a neural pathway of "unsafe" in the brain.

This happens to protect us, it doesn't mean the brain is functioning improperly, it means it's working great. Unfortunately, this neural pathway has strong emotional strength associated with it, and it can be triggered randomly by any sensation that it perceives as being a threat or causing fear in our system.

By Reprocessing these memories and sensations, we can allow those amazing neurons to make a new pathway, RIGHT NOW.

I know, you are wondering how does moving our eyes change our brain? Well, when we have a frightening experience or troubling thoughts, our eyes move side to side in a processing the situation kind of response. This is how the founder of EMDR decided to research the use of Bi-Lateral Eye movements to reprocess disregulating situations. I use disregulating here instead of traumatic, because when using trauma, most people think they haven't had a traumatic experience. But, a disregulating event or experience is in our brain "trauma." Trauma can be a capitol T trauma or a small t trauma, our brain reads them as mostly the same thing, a situation in which we are now on high alert. Our system is flooded with Adrenaline and Cortisol and we go into all systems go! Or our brain decides freezing is best, or flopping or what is called "fawning." The Fight/Flight response is an internal alarm system. It's your brain doing exactly as it's supported too. READ MORE about this system here in my blog with Dr. Stephen Borges and the Polyvagal system.

That brings us to how EMDR works and more on this subject.

For so much more on this subject, jump over to my BLOG with even more details on the subject.

If you are interested in an EMDR Yoga class or an individual session with me

CONTACT me for a free consultation. Be sure and sign-up for the Newsletter too for info on events and retreats!