What is EMDR Therapy?

 EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) is considered one of the most effective treatments for stress and trauma, and is both evidence and research-based. It is often the treatment of choice for clearing the emotional charge of painful experiences and memories, and has been used successfully to treat depression, anxiety, fears and phobias as well.

How does EMDR Therapy work?

When something painful or traumatic happens, our brains can have difficulty processing or 'digesting' the experience, and so the painful memory can become stuck in our memory networks--along with the sensory information from when the experience happened. This is why certain smells, sights, textures and tastes may bring back the memory of that experience in a very clear, and often disturbing way. Even though something happened years ago, it can feel as if it happened yesterday.

The memories themselves do not disappear, however your relationship to the memory will likely change--making the memory feel much less scary and painful, both in your mind and your body.