You may have been through therapy for your trauma and nothing has really helped. Maybe someone has suggested you look into Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) therapy. Perhaps your therapist even recommended that you try it due to its benefits for treating trauma.
EMDR is more popularly known for treating trauma, but you’re not sure how. You want to know exactly how your treatment is going to help you before you commit to anything. In this blog, we will talk about how EMDR treats trauma and how it helps.
What is Trauma?
First, understanding what trauma is and what forms it takes can be helpful. Trauma is when something bad or scary happens to someone that can leave a mark on them emotionally. Their traumatic experience can be a one-time event, such as a car accident, or a series of events such as abuse. Trauma can also come in the form of the loss of a loved one or natural disasters.
Their trauma can affect how this individual feels, thinks, and behaves. Sometimes, with time and support the effects of trauma will gradually fade away. On the other hand, some individuals need support from a trauma or EMDR therapist or help them move through their trauma. This can be due to their brain and nervous system being frozen in the state it was in during that traumatic experience. Or, it can be due to the effects of the trauma being too overwhelming and hard to process.
How Does EMDR Treat Trauma?
EMDR is an evidence-based trauma treatment method that EDMR therapists use to help individuals who have experienced trauma. This is due to EMDR not retraumatizing the individual rather it helps them process that experience from their point of view now rather than then. EMDR therapy works by you talking about the traumatic experience while also undergoing a form of stimulation such as following the therapist’s hand, visual cues, or bilateral sound.
The stimulation is so that you stay in the present moment while you reprocess the traumatic memories. When memories have been reprocessed, which takes time, their emotional impact and overall hold on the individual will be reduced. This type of therapy also requires you to focus on positive thoughts and beliefs that can replace the negative ones that surround the traumatic memory. Your EMDR therapist will help guide you through this along with helping you to identify and challenge these negative thoughts.
What are the Benefits of Using EMDR to Treat Trauma?
Overall, EMDR’s goal is to help individuals who have experienced trauma process their traumatic memories in a healthier way. This way they experience less distress and trauma-related symptoms. However, there are many more benefits of using EMDR to treat trauma.
Faster Relief of Symptoms
Treatment will vary for everyone but it is often reported that EMDR helps individuals to have faster symptom relief when comparing it to other forms of therapy. It helps individuals to reprocess the traumatic memories rather than retraumatize them but also focuses on the emotions and thoughts surrounding the trauma as well. Once the memory has been reprocessed, the distressing symptoms reduce.
Long-Lasting Results
EMDR addresses the root cause of the trauma along with the feelings associated with it. So, once the memory of the trauma is reprocessed and the emotions are replaced with more positive ones, the emotional intensity is reduced. Leading to longer-lasting positive thoughts, emotions, and behaviors.
Coping Skills
Through EMDR, individuals can find ways to default to healthier coping mechanisms when faced with the aftermath of trauma. Even if it’s with negative feelings or emotions, they will be able to regulate them. Along with their emotions, they will be able to manage their stress and any triggers relating to trauma.
EMDR is an effective treatment option for individuals who have been through a traumatic experience. This type of therapy seeks to support individuals by seeing the memory through their current perspectives and realizing that it wasn’t their fault, they can heal and be empowered to move forward. With support from an EMDR therapist in Alpharetta, GA, you can reprocess your traumatic memories and find relief.
Begin EMDR Therapy in Alpharetta or Milton, GA
You don’t have to be retraumatized to heal from trauma. EMDR will help you heal from trauma without having to re-experience the pain. Our team of therapists at Wellview Counseling understands trauma is complicated and can be hard to process. This is why we provide EMDR therapy so we can help our clients reprocess their traumatic memories and find relief. If you’re interested in starting therapy:
- Contact Wellview Counseling
- Meet with Our Therapists
- Begin taking the first steps toward relief!
Other Therapy Services Offered at Wellview Counseling
Our therapists at Wellview Counseling understand that you or your loved ones may be facing more than trauma. This is why we offer a variety of therapy services to help you manage any and all challenges you may be facing. We offer child counseling, teen counseling, family counseling, postpartum depression and anxiety counseling, trauma and PTSD treatment, therapy for those with a chronic illness, and more. Regardless of the challenge you face, our therapists are here to help. Our office is in Roswell, GA, but we also offer online therapy to anyone in Georgia. If you have questions or would like to schedule an appointment please feel welcome to reach out to us!
About the Author
Meet Ashley Bobo, MSW, LCSW, a compassionate and experienced therapist dedicated to helping individuals and families overcome life’s obstacles, especially trauma-related stress, and anxiety. With over 20 years of experience, Ashley specializes in providing support for managing stress, anxiety, depression, and improving relationships. While not offering EMDR therapy, Ashley recognizes the significance of tailoring treatment to meet each individual’s unique needs. With her compassionate guidance, Ashley can help individuals navigate challenging times and find healing from trauma. To learn more about Ashley and her practice, please visit Wellview Counseling’s website.