5 Ways You Didn't Know EMDR Could Benefit Your Life
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing therapy is a method used by therapists to help guide the client through eye movements, tones, and taps. The therapy is found to help the individual through distressing memories and reorganize the way memories are ‘filed’ in the brain. However, EMDR is utilized for more than just trauma-related challenges by lessening the levels of distressing experiences and installing a positive sense of self through reprocessing.
Prepare for the Future
EMDR isn’t only just for working through the past or finding ways to tolerate the present but it can help you plan for future events. Think of it as giving your mind a ‘spring clean’, organizing your thoughts to gain clarity, and deleting faulty ways of thinking about yourself and what the future holds. It’s about rephrasing your inner dialogue in a way that will set you up for success and happiness. Do you have an important interview for that job you’ve been dreaming about? EMDR therapy could be a big help in your preparation process.
Break Bad Habits
Are you on a mission to let go of behavior that has been holding you back to live your best life? Many times our addictions are communicating an unmet need or unresolved issue. There are things that we believe about ourselves that might not even be true but they lead to self-deprecating behavior. People also make use of EMDR ‘buzzers’ to assist them in working through cravings. It’s a great way to track the stop, pause, and notice the intensity of the craving before taking action.
Reshape Perceptions
Where most counseling approaches focus on a ‘state’ change, in other words - helping the client move from feeling anxious to calm, or equipping them with tools to cope with their symptoms - EMDR goes ‘deeper’ by helping clients make trait changes. Trait changes can help reshape perceptions by looking at what is underneath the ‘state’ by using memories, the limbic system, and the nervous system.
Improve Relationships
This form of therapy allows you to work through personal challenges, grief, and trauma that might be holding you back from truly connecting with others. Some past events might be burdensome because it consumes a person’s every thought and every action. EMDR therapy can help empower the client and improving communication will lead to positive relational outcomes. For those feeling closed up mentally or emotionally, EMDR therapy could be the key to reconnecting with the world around you.
Revisit Childhood Memories
For some, they might feel that revisiting their childhood would be traumatizing, but EMDR can help you reframe your lived experiences. For those curious individuals that can’t remember much about their childhood, this therapy can help you gain ‘access’. This technique has a way of impacting your neurons allowing you to bring old memories to the forefront of your thinking.
The above-mentioned benefits show that EMDR therapy could be beneficial to most people, even if you feel you aren’t struggling with a mental condition or working through complex trauma. We would love to guide you through the phases and help you connect to your true self and potential. Our team in Lancaster, Pennsylvania is trained in providing EMDR counseling among other modalities and we also accept Highmark Blue Shield insurance.
