Calm the Storm: How EMDR Can Help You Heal and Thrive

Healing from trauma or emotional pain can feel like an uphill battle, but it doesn’t have to be. Whether it’s a difficult experience, a recent trauma, or the stress of everyday life, finding a path to healing isn’t always easy. That is where EMDR comes in. Have you heard about it? Since I’m in the field, I’ve heard of it (and did EMDR!) myself, but I’ve noticed it started gaining more recognition with Prince Harry’s 2020 interview. Many celebrities have come out sharing their positive experiences with EMDR such as Lady Gaga, Justin Bieber, Demi Lovato, and Sandra Bullock. Its increased popularity in recent years is no surprise given its effectiveness for healing trauma, anxiety, and other aspects of mental health.

 All right, so what exactly is EMDR?

EMDR is a specialized therapy that helps people process and heal from trauma and other distressing life experiences. I used EMDR for quite the range of things from childhood trauma (I still struggle to remember my times tables, does anyone remember learning those?) all the way to I am totally stressed out trying to balance my kids, work, and having a life.

The beauty of EMDR which is different from traditional talk therapy, EMDR uses guided eye movements to help you process those difficult memories and reduce the emotional intensity associated with them.

Just so you know during an EMDR session, your therapist will guide your eye movements back and forth while you focus on a particular memory or thought. This process helps your brain reprocess the memory in a way that makes it less emotionally charged. Over time, what once felt overwhelming can become much more manageable, allowing you to move forward with a sense of peace and resolution.

What Do Those Letters Stand For?

E and M – Eye Movement. Your EMDR-trained therapist will use gentle physical or auditory stimulation to get your eyes to move back and forth (called bilateral stimulation or BLS). Yes, this can sound like hypnotism but please bear with us. This movement activates both sides of your brain and primes it for the next phase…

D – Desensitization. This phase is dealing with “all of the person's responses (including other memories, insights and associations that may arise) as the targeted event changes and its disturbing elements are resolved.” Kari, our EMDR therapist, describes this phase as mentally picking up all of the papers that have been dropped on the floor.

R – Reprocessing. This is where the eye movement gets really important. This is where the client briefly focuses on the trauma or disturbing memory while simultaneously engaging in BLS. This is associated with a reduction in the vividness and emotional intensity associated with the disturbance being addressed. Kari explains this as putting the papers in order, placing them in the correct filing cabinets, and then closing the drawers.

EMDR does not remove the memory but it takes the heat and the intensity out of it and moves it from a near re-lived experience to its appropriate place in the brain as a memory.

What Makes EMDR Unique?

What sets EMDR apart is its ability to work quickly and deeply. Many people find that they experience significant relief in a relatively short amount of time. It’s also a great option if you’re someone who struggles to talk about your feelings or past experiences. Because EMDR doesn’t rely solely on verbal expression, it can be a less daunting approach to therapy.

Real-Life Results

Let’s talk about what you can expect. Imagine feeling lighter, more in control, and less triggered by the things that used to weigh you down. EMDR can help you achieve that by rewiring the way your brain processes those difficult memories. It’s about more than just “getting over” something—it’s about truly healing from it.

The effects of an EMDR processing session can sit in the back of a person’s mind for multiple days. Clients report flashes of new insight up to several days after an EMDR session and sometimes even relevant dreams.

What Is EMDR Good For?

Originally designed as a trauma-processing technique, EMDR has also been found to be effective for

·      Anxiety

·      Panic attacks

·      Stress

·      Phobias

·      Complicated grief

·      Self-esteem and performance anxiety

Is it safe?

You bet it is! It is a carefully structured and researched-supported therapy. It is non-invasive meaning no medications or physical interventions. EMDR relies on the natural healing process of the brain, which are activated through specific techniques, such as guided eye movements.

Another beautiful aspect of EMDR is that the client is in control. The client is allowed and welcome to stop a processing session at any time. A good EMDR therapist will then check in with the client and help them regain enough stability to continue with the rest of their day.

Ready to Explore EMDR?

If you’re curious about how EMDR could work for you, consider reaching out to us. Click here to start your EMDR journey today!

Taking care of your mental health is one of the best investments you can make in yourself. Whether you're new to therapy or looking for a fresh approach, EMDR could be exactly what you've been searching for.

Common But Often UNKNOWN Symptoms of Quarantine Stress and Trauma

Being quarantined in our homes for an unknown length of time has been a unique and particular struggle for everyone.  It has required reordering and rethinking our day and taking on additional responsibilities we had never intended.  This is the top worry - the safety of all of our loved ones.

 As a result many, many people are experiencing symptoms of acute stress and trauma and do not know it.  Social media is full of people questioning and bemoaning their lack of progress on projects and even daily chores.  This is because, for many, this is the first time they are experiencing a major traumatic situation.  As a result they do not recognize their behaviors and thoughts for what they are: mental health symptoms.

Common Symptoms of Stress & Trauma Experienced During Quarantine

 Below are some of the most commonly experienced but least recognized symptoms that I have seen people experiencing during this quarantine.  

 If you recognize any of these in yourself or a loved one, please remember this: there is nothing wrong with you! Your brain is doing its absolute best to take care of you.  

1)    Memory loss and memory issues

 Short term memory can be particularly affected.  Memory issues can also include a distorted sense of time wherein time can either crawl or rush past you.

2)    Executive Dysfunction

 The best description I’ve heard for executive dysfunction is “brain buffering.”  You may find yourself thinking of absolutely nothing while at the same time trying to remember what you were just doing.  It can also look like saying to yourself, “I need to get up and do that dishes” and then just sitting there and sitting there while thinking, “Just get up and do the dishes!”  There’s no identifiable reason why you are not getting up.  You just aren’t.

3)    Inability to Make Even Small Decisions

This relates to executive dysfunction and is regularly accomplished by distress or frustration when a person tries to force themselves to make the decision.

4)    “Forgetting” Activities of Daily Living

 Activities of Daily Living (ADLs) are things like eating, showering, putting on clean clothes, using the toilet, etc.  What is actually going on is you’re likely not perceiving the cues from your body asking for these things.  As a result you are “forgetting” to take care of yourself because you are not picking up on the reminders that you’re hungry, or need the bathroom, or really should shower.

5)    Confusion or Brain Fog

 This can also be accompanied by slight dizziness or balance issues.

 6)    Sleep issues

This one is incredibly common.  A person may be sleeping too much or too little, or struggle to fall asleep or stay asleep.  Unspecific bad dreams and nightmares can also happen during times of trauma or acute stress.

 7)    Stomach and food-related issues

 Like sleeping issues a person may begin eating too much or too little.  A person may feel nauseous all the time.  A person can also have no interest in food even when they know they are hungry.

8)    Dissociation

Dissociation is feeling like there is a glass, a film, or a barrier between you and everything else.  Or, between you and your own body. This disconnection happens to stop the trauma memories/thoughts and to lower your fear, anxiety, and shame.

9)    Intrusive Thoughts

These are loops of, usually, bad thoughts.  If you have found yourself thinking the same negative thoughts over and over again, even when you try to think about other things then you are trapped into what is a negative feedback loop.  

Intrusive thoughts can also take the form of negative spiraling thoughts; wherein the first thought might not be too bad but before you know it you have come to the absolute worst case scenario you can possibly imagine.

10) Shortness of breath and heart palpitations

These symptoms are frequently mistaken for a heart attack but are actually common indicators of anxiety or a panic attack.  If you have any doubts, however, call 911.

11)  Auditory Processing Issues

This is experienced as watching someone speak (or listening to music/watching TV) but being unable to understand what they said even if you hear them clearly.

This may be watching someone speak but being unable to understand what they said even if you hear them perfectly.  You may also struggle to separate the conversation you are having from the background noise of a TV or other conversation.

 12) Sounds and Sensations are More Irritating than Normal

This encompasses all of your senses.  It could be forks scraping or birds chirping, or being touched, or feeling a scratchy fabric, or even the sound of silence.  Your brain struggles to fully function until the sound stops.  This can also be recognized by an instant reaction of distress, discomfort, or even anger that is out of proportion to the sensation.

If you are now wondering what you can do about these symptoms below are are links from the Department of Veteran Affairs that provide tips on how to help yourself and loved ones during this time:

Managing Stress Associated with the COVID-19 Virus Outbreak

Helpful Thinking During the Coronavirus (COVID-19) Outbreak

Tips for Providing Support to Others During the Coronavirus (COVID-19) Outbreak

Of course, you can also reach out to a mental health professional.  Many of us are offering video or “telehealth” online counseling sessions during the quarantine.  The thearpists here at Obsidian Counseling & Wellness are ready and eager to help you.