Heal from Your Past Experiences.
EMDR Can Help Heal Your Trauma
Sound like you?
You are feeling so tense in your whole body and are having a hard time feeling fully present or connected to yourself.
The feeling like you somehow could have done something different to prevent things from happening keeps replaying though you know you would never feel that way toward someone else experiencing the same thing. It is familiar to blame yourself, believe it must be you, feel like a burden or that you are too sensitive.
It seems out of reach but you wish to feel some more trust with yourself and more comfort in connecting with others. You are missing connection yet also feel like reaching out is so hard and you are used to making it seem that everything is ok even though right now it isn’t feeling like it is.
The idea of processing things without words feels hopeful for you as sometimes it is hard to describe your experiences.
You’re feeling like no matter what you try, nothing is working….
It’s like you never can trust yourself or feel seen and at ease because these things have happened.
How can EMDR help in Processing Trauma?
Usually when folks are feeling that they know logically they should be feeling a certain way but their body responds as if stuck responding as it did in the past, it can be a signal that further body processing can happen and EMDR may help.
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) is a form of therapy that can be supportive for trauma, anxiety and self-esteem. When we have a traumatic experience or traumas over time, our body and brain go into the natural fight, flight, freeze and faun response. Sometimes if the experience is traumatic at the time for our systems, the memory can be stored with that same survival response, therefore whenever there is a reminder of that memory, the body will be stuck reacting in the same way as if there is that traumatic thing taking place in the present.
Result
EMDR helps to change the survival response stored with the memory using bilateral movement and the client noticing their present experience as they are connecting with the memory. Essentially this process can refile the stuck information in a way where it doesn't have the same charge.
“The past affects the present even without our being aware of it.”
― Francine Shapiro (Founder of EMDR Therapy)
Here’s what we’ll do together
EMDR Therapy can help process through the difficult experiences so they don’t seem like they are happening now and help you find life long change.
The Flow of Our EMDR Work:
1) I guide you with questions to explore your experiences, gather a little context so we can both know what may come up in processing. Sometimes this is combined with creative invitations or using imagery cards to share your history and experience, all based on your comfort.
2) Together we come up with a certain tool kit of things that can regulate and bring grounding and more peace when things get hard.
3) As we build trust in our therapeutic relationship we get an idea of present concerns and how they connect with deep rooted memories and experiences.
4) We find certain experiences to start with and from there I offer guidance to connect with them (noticing beliefs, emotions, body sensations) while holding two buzzers that buzz back and forth between your hands mimicking what we understand as our natural healing process.
5) Notice whatever comes with connecting with this experience/memory. No right or wrong, you may start to notice new perspective, new ways of feeling, less tension in your body, maybe bringing in supports you have now that you didn’t have at the time, all is welcome.
6) We check in around any new sense with this memory and strengthen any positive.
7) Explore if there is anything we need to connect with to feel regulated before heading off in your day.
8) Checking in to see what has come up since the last session.
It is common after EMDR Therapy work to feel…
More present and grounded in your body
Less to no charge with past memories that used to have such an effect on your daily life
More connected and loving toward self
Hopeful when it used to be hard to imagine a future
Lightness and comfort going out and being with others
At the end of the day, I want you to know:
Past experiences don’t have to continue to have such a hold on your present relationship with self and others. EMDR can bring relief while being there for all versions of yourself.
What we’ll work on
Imagine a life where…
You trust yourself and know in your mind, body and soul that things are different now and you feel hopeful for new experiences.
It is easy to know what boundaries you want to have with yourself and people in your life, you have a sense of what is your energy and others and what you don’t need to hold.
You’re connected to yourself and feel caring for your younger self who has gone through hard things, you are constantly finding new things you appreciate about yourself.
Your past no longer feels there at every turn, you still have your memories but they don’t have the same hold or activation.
That perfectionism or fear of messing up, getting in trouble, being stupid has let up so much, you are creating!
