EMDR Therapy in Los Angeles
As a trained EMDR therapist, I have found EMDR therapy to be an incredibly powerful tool for healing painful experiences. Further, I am trained in Structural Dissociation Theory as well as the Flash Technique and have advanced protocol training in addiction, dissociation, grief, OCD, and attachment. Here is some information that briefly describes EMDR therapy.
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) therapy is an evidenced-based psychotherapy treatment originally developed by Dr. Francine Shapiro to help people heal from traumatic and distressing life events. Symptom relief is achieved through the processing through of these disturbing events, as well as the emotions, body sensations, images, and negative beliefs associated with them. The technique involves a combination of free association and some form of bilateral stimulation, which may unlock the mind’s own capacity to heal.
EMDR therapy has been shown to be an effective treatment for:
- Anxiety, worry, phobias
- Low self-esteem
- PTSD symptoms, including nightmares, flashbacks, avoidance, hypervigilance
- Addiction or compulsive behaviors
- Eating disorder symptoms
- Relational trauma, including physical, sexual, and emotional abuse
- Performance anxiety
- Sleep problems
EMDR can be beneficial for clients who have been in years of traditional talk therapy and have a sophisticated understanding of their experiences yet still feel overwhelmed by their emotions. EMDR therapy supports wholeness and integration in that it bridges the gaps between the emotional, cognitive, and somatic experiences that often become fragmented during a traumatic or difficult experience.
Through EMDR therapy, the past can be left in the past so that one can be more present in the here and now. This healing also helps people to tap into their inner resources and resilience.