Let’s Take A Walk…

In the 1980s, Francine Shapiro was a graduate student studying psychology in Brooklyn. One day, she was taking a walk in the park when she was suddenly overwhelmed by an upsetting memory from her past.

As she stopped and tuned into what she was experiencing internally, she noticed that there was a connection between where she looked and how she felt; depending on where her gaze was, the upsetting feelings either calmed or intensified.

From here, Shapiro developed the concept of bilateral stimulation—or side-to-side eye movement—which helps to peel back the layers of how trauma is stored in the brain and body.

Since then, her approach of Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) has become one of the most trusted trauma treatments to date, providing upwards of 80 to 90 percent of PTSD patients with lasting relief. [1] All from a walk in the park…

Eye Movement And Its Relationship To Trauma

When something traumatic happens—meaning anything sudden, disruptive, unexpected, or overwhelming that is perceived as a threat to one’s emotional or physical integrity—the memory of the experience gets stored differently than “normal” experiences; it effectively gets stuck in a part of the brain known as the amygdala-hippocampal complex.

As a result, these memories end up living somewhere between the past and present—not fully consolidated into long term memory, they remain easily accessible. Situations that recollect, in any way, the original memory reactivate the overly accessible traumatic memory. When the traumatic memories are “triggered” in this way, trauma survivors find themselves reacting to the original memory along with the current situation. Not surprisingly, this leads to excessive reactions such as overblown startle responses, panic, hypervigilance, physical discomfort, rage, relational challenges and other symptoms of PTSD.

The Effectiveness Of EMDR

Since the 1980’s, EMDR has been heavily researched. Though the approach was founded on the principles of side-to-side eye movements, auditory cues or tapping are also very effective means of achieving the requisite bilateral stimulation. These short bursts of side-to-side movement engage both sides of the brain, allowing previously blocked trauma to be re-accessed and reprocessed. EMDR has also been found to temporarily slow down the amygdala and synchronize brain waves, which helps process traumatic memories.

Some scientists believe that this process replicates the bilateral stimulation involved in REM (dream) sleep, which is the part of the cycle when our experiences of the day are consolidated into long-term memory. Like dreaming, EMDR effectively moves the memory out of the amygdala-hippocampal complex, allowing the rest of the brain to fully process the memory.

When I think of traumatic memories, I imagine a complex neural web connecting the original traumatic memory to experiences and memories that activate the initial memory and reinforce it. When effective, EMDR traces and deconstructs this neural web, resulting in a sense of freedom and greater autonomy over one’s choices, emotions, and responses. Talk therapy, while beneficial, does not access this neural web the way that EMDR can.

Nuances of EMDR

Alongside being an effective treatment for those who suffer “big,” violent, and/or life-threatening traumas (what we call “Big T” trauma), EMDR has helped many patients suffering from the effects of “little t” traumas, which are more subtle but often equally impactful. These traumas usually involve relational injuries from childhood, which may include a significant or profound lack of attunement with a parent or caretaker, abuse, neglect, or bullying.

Through EMDR, you can experience a profound feeling of freedom—both from uncomfortable symptoms and unhealthy patterns—that you may have been unable to access via other therapy approaches.

Is EMDR Therapy Is Right For You?

Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) is an effective therapy that can help you manage symptoms of:

• PTSD
• Anxiety
• Stress
• Relational issues
• Anger/rage
• Unhealthy, outdated patterns

To find out more about how this therapy works or to schedule an EMDR session with me,  fill out my contact form.

[1]https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3951033/#:~:text=This%20is%20consistent%20with%202,three%2090%2Dminute%20EMDR%20sessions.