EMDR
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing
EMDR stands for Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing. In 1987 the psychologist Francine Shapiro was walking through a park and noticed that when her eyes were moving side to side this reduced the negative thoughts and memories she was experiencing. Since that time it has been refined and has come to be regarded as one of the most effective approaches in trauma treatment. It was later discovered that different forms of stimulation could help a person with reprocessing distressing memories – eye movements, alternatively tapping each of your knees, or holding a set of alternating vibrating devices in your hands. Each client tends to be unique in responding best to one of these forms of bilateral stimulation.
The EMDR process initially starts with strengthening your “resources” that you can turn to when you are in distress. As well, increasing your bodily awareness of how anxiety and different emotions (eg grief and anger) show up in your body. Once these foundations are laid, you will start to identify the negative or traumatic memories that you want to process. Then the therapist guides the client in eye movements or other bilateral stimulation.
Through this process a client is able to start deeply reprocessing the memory. In an organic spontaneous process, a client experiences associated thoughts, feelings, and other memories. Step by step these each are reprocessed together with the presence and guidance of a skilled therapist
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MDMA-Assisted Psychotherapy
A very powerful form of therapy is being developed for PTSD. It combines intensive somatic therapy with a medicine called MDMA.