You may have heard of this type of therapy, by what is EMDR?
EMDR, short for Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing, is a therapy that is typically used to assist individuals to process through traumatic/distressing events they have experienced that cause PTSD symptoms.
However, research has shown that EMDR can also be helpful for all types of anxiety including panic attacks, phobias, performance anxiety, and it can help decrease depression, and assist clients to process grief, guilt, sexual and physical abuse, and most other disturbing experiences/memories.
When and how did EMDR get developed?
In the 1970s, a psychologist, Dr. Francine Shapiro, was experiencing some distressing events in her life. She went for a walk in a park and noticed that, as her eyes moved from tree to tree, she experienced some relief from her distress.
Dr. Shapiro devoted many years to research and development of the EMDR protocol that has been used by specifically trained therapists who have experienced positive results with their clients.
Why is EMDR recommended by therapists?
EMDR is utilized by therapists throughout the world and with many different ages and populations. Found to be effective by The American Psychiatric Association and the International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies, EMDR was also found effective by the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs, the Department of Defense in use for veterans dealing with Post Traumatic Stress symptoms.
The United Kingdom Department of Health, the Israel National Council for Mental Health and many other international health and governmental agencies recommend and support use of this therapy.
Join us next week for more information about the wonderful world of EMDR therapy and how it can be influential in your healing!
Please Note: If you or a loved one is experiencing a mental health emergency, call 911 or go to your nearest hospital for emergency services or the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 988.