Three Ways EMDR Therapy Can Bring Women Peace

When we experience trauma, trauma triggers can bring the traumatic memory back to life. Trauma can shock the brain and freeze our bodies. While our bodies are designed to heal themselves, sometimes the overwhelming experience of trauma feels too large for us to manage. While other methods of treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder focus on changing the way you think about a memory, Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) focuses directly on how the memory or experience still impacts you. EMDR helps people release negative thoughts, feelings, and body sensations associated with the trauma, so they can feel whole again. 

How Does EMDR Therapy Work? 

The concept of EMDR is that trauma continues to cause distress because the negative memories were never correctly processed before. Through EMDR therapy, the traumatic memories are safely reprocessed in the brain until they’re no longer distressful and harmful. Over time, these memories become less vivid and symptoms fade.

Stirring up these traumatic memories can be difficult, especially in the beginning stages of therapy. This is completely normal because our brain is very resistant to change. As you walk through the eight different phases of EMDR therapy, your brain begins to readjust and the fear and pain associated with the trauma subside. So, although it may be uncomfortable at first, the goal is finding peace within yourself regardless of what has happened in the past.  

How EMDR therapy can help you find peace:

1. Reduce Distress From Past Memories

Traumatic memories can certainly make an impact on the decisions we make in our future. We spend much of our time trying to avoid these events again which can worsen the memories. Instead of trying to change these thoughts or get rid of them, we confront them head-on in EMDR. By the end of EMDR therapy, these past memories will no longer cause

us distress. They will just be memories. We already did the worst part in confronting them. Now, we can let go and breathe again.

2. Develop Healthy Self-Beliefs

While traumatic memories cannot change through EMDR, you can change the way you think of them. Traumatic memories are vulnerable to bringing in a lot of negative feelings. We could have negative feelings about the world, humanity, and often ourselves. If we believe these negative thoughts, we could be living the rest of our lives in fear, anxiety, and depression. With a negative outlook, we could be afraid of finding love in our lives or trying anything new again. EMDR targets negative beliefs and changes them to positive ones. You will be able to love yourself again and the people around you.

3. Instill Positive Scenarios for Your Future

When you have been dealt a heavy hand, it can be hard to picture your life getting any better. Without confidence and love in yourself, your fear and anxiety will impact every decision you make. It’s hard to even picture yourself in a better place than you are now. During the installation phase in EMDR, a positive belief is “installed” to your brain after exposure to your traumatic memories. By the end of this therapy, your traumatic memories will no longer bother you. This will leave room for visualizing yourself being successful, confident, and loved. EMDR has the power to eliminate negative beliefs that stand in your way and turn them into positive ones. 

We offer online EMDR therapy for women, so you can find peace again. Book your free consult today.