EMDR is a safe, fast and effective therapy and has been found to be a highly effective approach to Trauma therapy. EMDR stands for Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing and is a revolutionary therapy for trauma and various other types of emotional distress.

The idea behind EMDR is that traumatic events are not processed at the time they happened but are instead “locked” into the brain. Without processing, these preserved memories can be suddenly “triggered” by sights, sounds, smells, emotions, and sensations. EMDR allows the brain to return and process these memories in a safe way using alternating eye movements, hand taps or sounds. EMDR is a complex procedure and can only be done by a highly trained practitioner.

The result is an elimination of emotional distress, typically accompanied by the gaining of powerful insights often described as epiphanies, and the spontaneous change of the client’s personal experience and behaviour for the better.

No homework is required on the part of the client with EMDR and drastic change and enormous positive shifts are often reported following each session, with the total therapy often requiring far fewer sessions than all other conventional therapies.

WHAT IS EMDR THERAPY USED FOR?

• PTSD (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder)
• Emotional Distress
• Phobias
• Panic Disorders
• Stuck Grief
• Depression and Anxiety
• Addictions
• Eating Disorders
• Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder

HOW DOES EMDR WORK?

EMDR therapy follows an eight-step protocol geared towards treating the root cause of symptoms of emotional distress.

EMDR therapy is based on a foundation that the cause of emotional distress symptoms is caused by the fact that certain memories that were stored (often during childhood or during a traumatic event) under conditions of duress or during a highly emotional state were stored but not fully processed or ill-processed, causing them to remain linked with the amygdala structure in the brain (which is responsible for fear conditioning and hyperarousal), resulting in a variety of disturbing symptoms.

EMDR works by accessing and enabling correct and adaptive reprocessing of memories and triggers. This results in the total elimination or great reduction of the emotional distress symptoms.

Clients not only report the elimination of emotional distress but also that they have gained cognitive insights, greater self-knowledge and a new perspective, a greater sense of personal power, and a more peaceful life.

If you live in Waterloo, Kitchener, or Cambridge and you think EMDR could help you, call or e-mail Bliss to book an appointment or a free consultation at 226-647-4123 or info@blisscounselling.ca.