The point is still to lean toward the discomfort of life and see it clearly rather than to protect ourselves from it.
Pema Chodron
What is EMDR?
EMDR, or Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing, is a highly researched, evidence-based form of therapy that helps reduce the effects of distressing memories. This type of therapy can help you safely and gently reprocess traumatic or stressful events that occured that still plaugue you and show up in your thoughts, your dreams, or cause you to avoid certain activities, places, or people who remind you of the traumatic events.
Normally, when something distressing occurs, your brain will naturally process all the information associated with the event and come to a logical, adaptive conclusion that allows you to move forward in life. However, some events are so traumatic that they stay “stuck” in a fight/flight/freeze/fold response, meaning anytime you think about the memory or perhaps experience a sound, smell, sight, taste, or sensation that reminds you of the event, you feel just as distressed as when it actually occurred. You may also develop negative beliefs about yourself in relation to the event that can trigger low feelings of self-worth.
I interweave yogic practices into your EMDR treatment to also address the impact of trauma on your body.
After successful EMDR treatment, you can still recall the event, but it no longer feels quite as distressing. EMDR also helps you form more healthy beliefs about yourself in regard to the event and reduce the re-experiencing of the images and sensations of the event. The trauma-informed yoga skill you will learn can bring soothing to your mind, body, and spirit before, during, and after EMDR work.