Healing From the Past
Do you ever feel like past events or traumas haunt you? Do you wish you could get past those areas of thinking or beliefs where you constantly slip and fall? I think everyone desires that. We all want to walk in freedom. EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) is a therapy technique that can help with these problems. This technique is different than traditional talk therapy. Since its creation in 1989, in hundreds of clinical trials, it has proven to effectively impact individuals’ distressing moments. It allows neurological repair and healing to take place in frozen parts of our brains. It can even be used in recent traumatic or distressing events.
What is trauma?
Maybe you’ve heard of EMDR and thought it wasn’t really applicable to you since you know you don’t have post-traumatic stress disorder. However, we are all living in the unprecedented times of COVID-19. Everyone is going through one level of trauma or another. Some who are on the front lines are struggling to cope with hard decisions. Again and again, they help dying individuals fight for life. Others have lost their jobs and are uncertain when or if they will have regular work again. Many will lose their loved ones long before they expected to and may not even be able to spend their final days with them. These are all traumas.
What is EMDR?
EMDR is an eight-step process that allows individuals to identify areas where they have both unwanted distress and unwanted beliefs. (See this link for a list of the eight steps). We can’t change the hard things we’ve already come through. We can, however, let our brains move from their frozen unprocessed states of distress into relief. Then our brain can naturally resolve the distress. The therapist acts as a guide through this process and teaches the clients how to walk through the process. During this time, we remain focused on the here and now while processing past wounds. This dual attention gives meaning to the processing and provides comfort and support to the individual as they heal.
The EMDR International Association (EMDRIA) has created this short video to help you learn more about what EMDR does and how it works.
What is it like after EMDR?
After completing EMDR individuals find that old memories or recent events don’t bother them the same way. This creates room for them to move on in other areas of their lives. One of the greatest joys in doing EMDR with a client is watching how processing and healing old wounds makes room for them to realize new things. Then they are able to walk in the freedom I mentioned at the beginning of this article. They realize they aren’t trapped in the negative beliefs they once held. Individuals see new adult perspectives on hard childhood events. They find safety in places where it previously eluded them.
EMDR Resources at Restoration Counseling of Atlanta
We are grateful to have a group of therapists who are EMDR trained, either in training or are certified EMDR therapists. These resources of healing and hope are here for you. We have worked hard to adapt our EMDR training to the online counseling environment. We’ve found creative ways to help you process your hard experiences. Feel free to reach out to us if you want to know more or think you or your loved one could benefit from EMDR therapy.
Written by: Jennifer Stuckert, Clinical Director, LPC
Roswell Location
jennifer@restorationcounselingatl.com, ext. 111
Jennifer is passionate about using distinctly Christian counseling to help struggling individuals, couples, and families. Since 2009, she has served as the director and supervisor of the staff of Restoration Counseling of Atlanta. She has two decades of counseling experience and helping people gain relief from life challenges. Jennifer uses biblically sound methods with a specific emphasis on adaption according to personality and learning styles. She is certified in EMDR and has completed extensive course work in Sexual Addiction Counseling.