Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing or EMDR, is a successful form of psychotherapy in which stimulation, commonly through eye movements, is used to help individuals cope with traumatic memories and emotions. The memories and emotions of the past also affect present experiences. Over the course of multiple therapy sessions, a licensed therapist guides the client through a total of eight phases.
As EMDR slowly gains more popularity and recognition in successful therapeutic interventions, there are many benefits of the therapeutic methods that may be surprising for potential therapy clients. Utilizing EMDR therapy is based on the idea that negative thoughts, feelings, and behaviors are the result of unprocessed memories. Let’s explore six of the most surprising benefits to EMDR therapy.
Encourages Communication
Traumatic experiences tend to move a person more inward, as a reaction or response to dealing with the threat of reliving the traumatic events. It is more common than not that people who have gone through trauma tend to keep their experiences to themselves. This is especially true for those who may feel that communicating their trauma experience will cause them to be judged, targeted, or burdensome on others.
EMDR encourages individuals to communicate their experiences step-by-step with a therapist. It challenges individuals to finally be able to verbalize their physical responses, thoughts, and memories. When these things can be communicated, it opens opportunities for true healing. Individuals may become empowered by knowing that they are survivors, and they have the power to assist others in their experiences through communication and connection.
Reshapes Past Events
With the trauma and mental health concerns that EMDR is used for as an intervention method, the history of EMDR began with helping people with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). EMDR helps build connections between the physical body and the psychological mind, improving cognition. As traumatic events are broken down with a therapist during sessions, individuals can take a step back and see another viewing angle of the incident or incidents and reshape what occurred.
Creating a different vantage point or a new lens to see past events can be just as life altering as the traumatic events. This different view provides individuals control over the current life adaptations the trauma has created. Understanding how trauma has a daily effect on life can help reduce symptoms related to PTSD.
Relationships and Boundaries Change
Tapping into traumatic events or memories and processing them with a licensed therapist can be a challenge. On the other hand, the aftereffects of having processed and identified memories can lead individuals to feel empowered. With trauma keeping others at bay and being more closed up mentally and emotionally, opening back up from the therapeutic process can lead to other life changes.
Relationships and boundaries may change for the better. Suddenly there may be more confident energy and emotional incentive to relate differently with others in life. Having more self-assurance in dealing with other people, expressing viewpoints more openly and having stronger limits in boundaries are all positive relational outcomes. While some relationships can be improved, others are better left at their stuck point while moving on and exiting is the best outcome for continued growth.
No longer feeling burdened or burdensome and no longer being consumed with the idea that limits are destined to be breached can spark expectations for setting boundaries. EMDR helps find clarity and balance. Collaborating with a therapist, the therapeutic relationship can help place safe zones and boundaries to change relationships and set new boundaries with confidence.
Changes Reacting to Rationale
EMDR treats different conditions tied to panic or anxiety. Working through traumatic events and stress responses gives individuals the perspective needed to resist reacting and instead create rationale. Trauma triggers such as noises or smells that would have led to reexperiencing a trauma can now lead to minimizing the reaction and being able to examine the real safety threat from the stimuli. Essentially when the brain and body’s survival instinct (fight, flight, or freeze) is triggered, the reaction overpowers any rational thought or response.
Rather than allowing anxiety and survival instincts to kick in, EMDR can help desensitize. The freedom to face life’s problems with less grief, depression, and anxiety improves the quality of life. Therefore, EMDR therapy benefits include providing the ability to stay more present and engaged in everyday challenges.
Acceptance Creates Mental Strength
Getting better means coming to terms with identity, self-esteem, and the internal narratives that become the life story experiences lived each day. EMDR and guided therapeutic processing provides a calm, quick, and confident environment to learn to accept the past and move forward. Going through the therapeutic process helps individuals feel more powerful and eager to face anything else that keeps them from feeling their best.
After acknowledging the past and coming to terms with acceptance, the mental strength gained from the process can lead to no longer feeling intimidated. Traumatic memories are no longer repetitive, intrusive mental bullies. No longer having mental bullies can lead to finally feeling capable to leave the past in the past.
The negative feelings connected to the past lose power to sneak up and destroy the rest of a perfectly good day. Being aware of the past without leading to a sudden reaction or response which occurred previously can be empowering. No longer living with so much anxiety or panic provides empowerment to face uncertainty with courage and resilience.
The Brain’s Ability to Heal and Remember
A common EMDR therapy benefit is more accessible memories and an active dream state. EMDR therapy may awaken the brain, stimulating access to vivid detailed memory and REM sleep. Many EMDR clients report clear memories of their childhood including sights, smells, and sensations, all lost prior to therapy intervention.
Dreams and REM state can also be affected by making dreams feel real and often tapping into memories of relationships and experiences. The content in the new dreams can then be explored and used for increasing self-awareness. With triggering different dreams and REM sleep changes, individuals also realize the power of the brain’s ability to heal itself.
The brain can update old, negative perceptions with positive resolutions. The brain can heal and change in real time. With the brain’s ability to heal itself and update, EMDR seems to offer quick results. Therapy utilizing EMDR has proven to work quickly in those who include it in their interventions. This is a huge benefit for those who are struggling with the effects of PTSD and other types of anxiety, as living day-to-day without relief can be crippling.
Final Thoughts
EMDR therapy can improve the lives of those who utilize it in their therapy. The greatest benefit of all is that EMDR therapy helps to improve the lives of people who were negatively affected by mental triggers. As with any other type of therapy, the benefits that a person will see because of their participation in EMDR will be reflective of the effort they put into it. However, continuing the work allows for individuals to work through their trauma in a faster, less painful manner.
Looking for a licensed therapist in the Cincinnati area who incorporates EMDR to therapeutic interventions? Therapy Cincinnati has been using EMDR to help clients process traumatic events and empower a healthier, happier life experience. Feel free to contact us through our website and skip the phone tag.