Sometimes we experience traumas that change the course of our lives. These traumas create pathways in the brain that cause us to react as if the traumatic events were still taking place. When this happens, we may not know how to change the trajectory when it’s not going in the direction we want. In smaller, but equally chronic ways, we may battle with anxiety and depression related to hard experiences in our past. It is as though doors leading to better ways of coping have been closed.
What is EMDR?
In the last year and a half, I’ve been using a new therapy technique called EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing). EMDR can open those closed doors. EMDR does this by disrupting the old thought patterns using a two part process of focused thoughts and bilateral stimulation. Watching a light bar or holding hand pulsers helps achieve this. The therapist acts as a guide to help the client discover alternative thoughts that lead to desired relief. It is often likened to the process our mind goes through in REM sleep as we put away the events of our day. This technique allows people to work through those hard places. It helps people find wise minded options for considering the situation, seeing God’s presence in their story, and experiencing relief as intense pains of the past become tolerable. It doesn’t change these hard parts of our lives, but instead frees our minds to learn ways to reprocess, desensitize, and gain relief.
What Can EMDR help with?
The technique has been around for more than 20 years. It is one of the most widely researched ways to address post-traumatic stress disorder. Continued work in this field has expanded its use into areas such as recent traumatic events, grief, childhood attachment issues, and more. It’s one of the most effective techniques I’ve seen in the last 20 years. If you are troubled by haunting events from the past, you may wish to reach out to us and explore EMDR.
Written by: Jennifer Stuckert, MA MFT, LPC, ACS, CPCS, NCC, Clinical Director
jennifer@restorationcounselingatl.com ext. 111
Roswell Location
Jennifer is passionate about using distinctly Christian counseling to help struggling individuals, couples, and families. With almost two decades of counseling experience she has spent since 2009 serving as the director and supervisor of the staff of Restoration Counseling of Atlanta. She works with adolescents, families, couples and individuals helping them gain relief from life challenges through biblically sound methods and a specific emphasis on adaption according to personality and learning styles. She is certified in EMDR and completed extensive course work in Sexual Addiction Counseling.