As we move through life, we accumulate both good and bad experiences. Some are really good, and some, unfortunately, are really bad. When something like trauma or mental illness enters our life, it can take a long time to fade. It might leave physical, emotional, or mental scars behind. While interventions like counseling, support from friends and family, and simple time can heal many wounds, some might need extra help healing.
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) therapy is one possible tool that can do just that! Thriveworks Polaris has counselors that are trained and experienced in EMDR. We understand how easy it is to feel stuck where you are. Maybe you’ve tried everything, or maybe you’re just starting your healing process. Either way, Thriveworks Columbus is excited that some of our Polaris office counselors are trained to help you heal and start moving forward in a positive direction using this specialized approach.
What is EMDR?
Our brain is built to be healthy. It wants to heal and grow. Sometimes though, an experience can get lodged in it like a splinter, hindering its ability to heal. Similar to how a physical wound can’t heal properly with a foreign object stuck inside, we can’t heal emotionally and mentally when an unresolved experience is stuck in our minds.
Often, these experiences are of the traumatic kind. EMDR was originally developed as a treatment for severe PTSD. While it has evolved to become a treatment for many mental illnesses, it remains highly effective at addressing trauma. Some studies have shown 84%-90% of single-trauma victims have significant reduction in symptoms after just three 90-minute sessions.
So, what actually is EMDR? It may sound complicated, and the science behind it is, but the actual therapy is quite simple. Its goal is to address the emotional power a memory has on your mind and release it. In an EMDR session, a Thriveworks Columbus trauma counselor will lead you through a series of steps:
- Use talk therapy to pinpoint a memory, lie, or emotion that is causing blockage in your healing.
- Fixate on the memory or strong image relating to a painful experience (can also be a negative belief about yourself, emotions, or physical sensations)
- Your therapist will begin engaging your right and left side of your brain in sequence (right, left, right, left). There are many ways this can be effectively done, but one of the popular ones is to have a client’s eyes follow the therapist’s finger as they move it laterally in front of the client’s face.
- Rest and recover! EMDR is quick-working but that also means it can be exhausting. You are working through what could be years of emotions in a few sessions!
EMDR is driven by the self-healing power your brain possesses. It gives power back to you, even in the face of severe emotional pain. If this sounds interesting to you, call or click to Thriveworks Columbus 614.300.2755 now to schedule an appointment!
Thriveworks Columbus Polaris office therapists believe you have lived in the hands of painful memories and destructive self-beliefs for too long. With a counselor trained in EMDR, you can begin your healing process today.
Is EMDR for you?
EMDR isn’t for everyone. It can be an intense process that is taxing on many people’s emotions and mental state. The emotional whiplash can surprise many clients, and we want to prepare you the best we can. Thriveworks Columbus Polaris makes sure to educate our clients on EMDR and the implications before we begin a session.
Don’t get us wrong- everything about EMDR is about healing. It is a safe and effective form of therapy that we feel confident using to treat out clients. But it is an accelerated form of healing that is based on accessing trapped memory and processing negative emotions. Even though it’s all about healing, that’s a lot for anyone to process! We will be with you every step of the way.
If you are interested in using EMDR to overcome your past, give us a call and we can discuss it further. Briefly, EMDR might be especially effective for you if you are struggling with:
- Trauma (of all kinds- sexual, physical, emotional, relational abuse, single-event, or prolonged trauma)
- Depression
- Eating Disorders
- Low Self-Esteem
- Suicidal Ideation
- Addictions
- Panic Attacks
EMDR has worked as a counseling method for many different mental illnesses. It is a powerful tool for combatting strong, negative memories.
Thriveworks Columbus Polaris therapists understand the pain you might be going through from trauma large and small. When you’re under the grips of powerful emotions, it can feel like you’re stuck in place. Our counselors are here for you. We can’t magically cure you, but we can support, encourage, and guide you as we walk this path of healing.
Call or click to Thriveworks Columbus 614.300.2755 now to schedule an appointment!
