If you've been through one or more traumatic events in your life and find that the past won't let go of you, EMDR is a treatment that may help.

"EMDR is an acronym for eye movement desensitization and reprocessing. It is an innovative clinical treatment that has successfully helped over a million individuals who have survived trauma, including sexual abuse, domestic violence, combat, crime, and those suffering from a number of other complaints including depressions, addictions, phobias, and a variety of self-esteem issues." 1

It uses bilateral stimulation (the use of visual, tactile, or auditory stimuli to create a “back and forth” pattern of activity in the brain) to engage our own natural means of cognitive processing and healing. Progress is guided by our own insights and revelations during this process, as well as our cognitive and emotional reactions, and interoception of where those emotional reactions are held in our bodies.

EMDR is "a psychotherapy that enables people to heal from the symptoms and emotional distress that are the result of disturbing life experiences. Repeated studies show that by using EMDR people can experience the benefits of psychotherapy that once took years to make a difference." 2

I'm a Level II Trained EMDR clinician, and have been using this treatment modality for over nineteen years. I've also been trained in a supplemental treatment option called the “flash technique,” which for many people can make EMDR a more comfortable and less distressing experience.

For more information, research, and a great list of "Frequently Asked Questions", I refer you to the official EMDR website, http://www.emdr.com.

The following information is from EMDR.com:

WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION (2013)
Guidelines for the Management of Conditions Specifically Related to Stress. Geneva, Switzerland: Author.
"Trauma-focused CBT and EMDR are the only psychotherapies
recommended for children, adolescents and adults with PTSD."

AMERICAN PSYCHIATRIC ASSOCIATION (2004)
Practice Guideline for the Treatment of Patients with Acute Stress Disorder and Post-traumatic Stress Disorder.
Arlington,VA: American Psychiatric Association Practice Guidelines.
"EMDR therapy was determined to be an effective treatment of trauma."

DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS AND DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE (2017)
VA/DoD Clinical Practice Guideline for the Management of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and Acute Stress Disorder.
Washington, DC: Veterans Health Administration, Department of Veterans Affairs and Health Affairs, Department of Defense.
"EMDR was given the highest level of recommendation and placed in the category of
three “trauma-focused psychotherapies with the strongest evidence from clinical trials.
These treatments have been tested in numerous clinical trials, in patients with complex
presentations and comorbidities, compared to active control conditions, have long-term
follow-up, and have been validated by research teams other than the developers.”

RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED STUDIES
"36 randomized controlled studies have evaluated EMDR therapy
in the treatment of trauma." 3

1. Overview and General Description (n.d.) Retrieved April 8th, 2003 from http://www.emdr.com/title.

2. What is EMDR? (n.d.) Retrieved July 12th, 2013 from http://emdr.com/general-information/what-is-emdr/what-is-emdr.html

3. Retrieved May 13th, 2018 from http://www.emdr.com