Walling off painful memories do not make them go away. In fact, by not working through our past traumas or wounds, we tend to get triggered in present interactions and our reactions can feel overly intense to ourselves and others. When that scenario happens, we tend to call it an old wound trigger. An example of that kind of interplay is someone does not answer an email or text right away and it sends your emotions and body reactions into overdrive. It may remind you of how you were disregarded as a child or in your first marriage. You may wonder in this present situation why you are being so sensitive to something so trivial as an unanswered message. It’s because there is an old trauma or wound that has not been processed through. The good news is that old pains, hurts, wounds, and traumas can be neutralized.
EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing) is a therapeutic technique that works to neutralize or take the emotional and physical charge out of traumatic events or memories. EMDR was conceived by Francine Shapiro, PhD in the 1990’s. It is a client centered therapy that establishes a target situation and uses bilateral stimulation (via eye movements, sounds, or tapping) to help the brain and body work through past or triggering events. Typical targets with EMDR are rape, childhood physical, sexual, and
emotional abuse, car accidents, military action, childhood bullying, complicated grief, the origination of OCD or phobias, unrelenting depression or anger, medical problems deemed having psychological basis, etc.
You deserve to not be burdened from your past. Call to discuss EMDR therapy with one of EMDR clinicians today.
