An Introduction to EMDR

The World Health Organization estimates approximately 70% of people worldwide will experience a traumatic event in their lifetime. Trauma, with a capital T, includes experiences such as natural disasters, car accidents, crime, and the death of a loved one. While we may not all experience Trauma, we have all experienced distressing events that impact the way we view the world around us, navigate relationships, and the way we view and think about ourselves. These events might include the bully we encountered on the playground in elementary school, a difficult breakup we experienced as an adolescent or young adult, or the passing comment from an adult that has stuck with us. These smaller but nevertheless distressing events have big impacts, and it can be difficult to determine how to navigate and unpack these events. 

Kaitlin studying her EMDR textbook that was required for her training.

Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) is a evidenced-based, specific therapy that targets the way distressing events, both big and small, impact neural pathways in our brain. EMDR uses bilateral stimulation, the back-and-forth movement of eyes, to help our brains and bodies move through and reprocess salient events throughout our lives.  The bilateral stimulation supports our brains in reducing stress and creating new pathways that allows us to explore healthy, and constructive ways of interacting with the world that are healthy for the person we are now and the person we hope to be in the future. 

EMDR does not look like your regular talk therapy; in fact, there's not a lot of talking in EMDR at all. It is a uniquely collaborative form of therapy where clients are put in the front seat of their own healing journey. EMDR involves 8-nonlinear phases that include identifying key memories throughout our lives that impact our current lived experience, building skills that help clients feel safe in between sessions, and then desensitizing and reprocessing experiences. Clients work with their EMDR trained or certified clinician to reduce the levels of distress experienced by negative thoughts, emotions, and sensations tied to specific memories and then create new associations memories and self-supportive thoughts. 

Kaitlin practicing EMDR via telehealth.

While EMDR can't make us forget the negative, harmful, or distressing things that have occurred in our lives, EMDR can help make sure that these experiences don’t hold us back from the bright future ahead of us. EMDR is a helpful therapeutic option for people of all ages, from infants to older adults. 

If you would like to learn more about EMDR therapy, RVA Counseling has several clinicians who are trained in EMDR and would be happy to help provide more information, including myself. We look forward to helping you on your journey towards healing and redefining your future!

You can call us at (804) 716-0428 to schedule an appointment or go through our website here and request a new appointment!