• Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Youtube
  • Schedule an Appointment
  • 502.509.9307
The Mindfulness Center
  • Home
  • Our Team
    • Our Team
    • Client Reviews
    • In the Press
    • Join Our Team!
    • Rent Office Space!
  • Specialties
    • All Specialties
    • Entrepreneurs
    • Couples & Marriage Therapy
    • Anxiety Reduction
    • Addiction and Recovery
    • Anger Management
    • Chronic Illness
    • Compassion Fatigue
    • EMDR & Trauma
    • Ending a Relationship Well
    • Grief & Loss
    • Kids & Teens
    • Life Transitions
    • Religious & Spiritual Identity
    • Sexual Identity
    • Telehealth Appointments
  • Services
    • All Services
    • One-On-One
    • Classes
    • Mindfulness for Organizations
    • Customized Trainings
    • Continuing Education for Therapists
    • MFT Supervision Opportunities
  • Tools
    • Blog
    • Podcast & Guided Meditations
    • Online Courses
    • Recommended Reading
    • Videos
  • Start Now
    • Contact
    • Rates, Insurance, and Free Consultations
  • Locations
    • Kentucky
      • Louisville
      • Lexington
    • Indiana
    • Florida
    • California
    • Online
  • LGBTQ
  • Menu Menu

Treating Trauma with EMDR

05 May 2024/in Blog/by Megan Bartley

Most of us experience trauma in our lives. Whether your trauma is capital “T” Trauma or a lower-case “t” trauma, everyone experiences these difficult scenarios differently. For some people they can seemingly let it go and not be bothered by it. For others, the difficult scenario can stick with them and come out sideways in various ways throughout life.

Trauma can be something that has happened in the past, perhaps years ago, that follows us into the present and keeps us from fully enjoying life today. It is a memory that lives in our minds and our bodies. Interestingly, memory has been shown to be unreliable since we remember the event from the last time we thought or talked about it, not necessarily the exact moment that it happened. Thinking about an event, we tend to make meaning of it. Oftentimes there are mixed emotions and meanings we experience which can feel confusing. It’s this confusion that can keep us stuck.

Trauma can cause us to clam up and turn inward to protect ourselves from future harm. Others of us can get BIG and LOUD to protect ourselves and externalize the trauma. There is not a right or wrong way to deal with trauma or any experience for that matter.

At The Mindfulness Center, we work from a “Yes, and…” perspective. Yes, you may feel scared and angry, and you might also want to connect with others while also avoiding getting too close as a way to protect yourself. Life and relationships can be complicated and messy. Our work as therapists is to help you move beyond the stuckness as you are ready.

One way to treat trauma or stuckness is with Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR).  EMDR is a therapeutic technique of desensitization and reprocessing. In session, we focus on being present in our bodies. This helps us identify what is happening and what sensations are being felt in the body. We improve our ability to tolerate uncomfortable thoughts and feelings. We examine our internal and external resources so that we can trust our ability to handle this inner work safely and effectively.

EMDR uses bilateral stimulation (BLS), is thought to play a crucial role in helping reprocess traumatic memories. BLS involves stimulating both sides of the body, through eye movements,
alternating tones or alternating taping while the client focuses on the disturbing memory. This stimulation is believed to activate the brain’s natural information processing system, allowing it
to revisit and reprocess the memory in a less distressing way. By enabling this reprocessing, BLS may help reduce the emotional intensity of the memory and its associated negative EMDR, marriage counselor, child psychologist
thoughts and beliefs.

EMDR therapy is recommended for individuals who have experienced trauma, such as PTSD, anxiety, depression, phobias, and grief. It can also be helpful for those struggling with chronic
pain, eating disorders, and dissociative disorders. EMDR can be a powerful tool for people seeking to heal from past experiences and improve their emotional well-being.

Elizabeth McCormack, LMFT is our therapist at The Mindfulness Center offering EMDR. Feel free to schedule a FREE 10-minute consultation with her to see if working together is optimal for both of you. Or, if you’re ready to schedule your first therapy session, you can schedule with Elizabeth HERE!

https://mindfulness-center.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/team_bg.png 726 1920 Megan Bartley https://mindfulness-center.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/logo-small.png Megan Bartley2024-05-14 15:01:372024-05-15 17:48:16Treating Trauma with EMDR

Recent Posts

  • When Emotions Run High While Parenting Teens: Communicating Through the Storm
  • Lowering Expectations
  • Parenting Adolescents: Understanding Your Teen’s Changing Brain
  • How Negative Capability can make us Better Humans
  • 3 Less Obvious Reasons to Start Therapy

Categories

  • 2-Minute Meditation
  • Alcohol
  • Anger
  • Blog
  • Books
  • Boundaries
  • Chronic Illness
  • COVID-19
  • Ending a Relationship Well
  • Holidays
  • Meditation
  • Mindfulness
  • Online Courses
  • Parenting
  • Podcast
  • Relationships
  • Self Love
  • Strengthening Your Relationship
  • Stress
  • Therapy
  • Trauma

Archives

  • May 2025
  • April 2025
  • March 2025
  • February 2025
  • January 2025
  • December 2024
  • November 2024
  • October 2024
  • September 2024
  • August 2024
  • July 2024
  • June 2024
  • May 2024
  • April 2024
  • March 2024
  • February 2024
  • January 2024
  • December 2023
  • November 2023
  • October 2023
  • September 2023
  • August 2023
  • July 2023
  • June 2023
  • May 2023
  • April 2023
  • March 2023
  • February 2023
  • January 2023
  • November 2022
  • October 2022
  • September 2022
  • August 2022
  • July 2022
  • June 2022
  • May 2022
  • March 2022
  • February 2022
  • January 2022
  • December 2021
  • November 2021
  • October 2021
  • September 2021
  • August 2021
  • July 2021
  • June 2021
  • May 2021
  • April 2021
  • March 2021
  • February 2021
  • January 2021
  • December 2020
  • November 2020
  • October 2020
  • September 2020
  • August 2020
  • July 2020
  • June 2020
  • May 2020
  • April 2020
  • March 2020
  • February 2019
  • January 2019
  • September 2018
  • August 2018
  • June 2018
  • January 2018
  • September 2017
  • August 2017
  • July 2017
  • June 2017
  • May 2017
  • November 2016
  • October 2016
  • September 2016
  • March 2016
  • February 2016
  • December 2015
  • November 2015
  • September 2015
  • August 2015
  • July 2015
  • June 2015
  • May 2015
  • April 2015
  • March 2015
  • February 2015
  • January 2015
  • September 2014
  • August 2014

Meta

  • Log in
  • Entries feed
  • Comments feed
  • WordPress.org

stay updated

new on the blog.

train your brain

When Emotions Run High While Parenting Teens: Communicating Through the Storm

Read More

check
out our
podcast

Scroll to top
Homepage