Christine E. Carpenter, Psy.D.
Licensed Clinical Psychologist
|
Christine E. Carpenter, Psy.D. Licensed Clinical Psychologist
|
| Home |
About EMDR Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) is a structured therapy technique designed to resolve distressing life events by directly activating and reprocessing traumatic experiences. It was developed by Francine Shapiro and originally used for the treatment of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) in war veterans. Trauma is stored in a very primitive part of the brain. It is the same area that is responsible for activating our fight, flight or freeze response when we are threatened. The actual trauma is difficult to access through traditional talk therapy because talking uses a completely different part of the brain than where the trauma is stored. Because EMDR directly accesses the trauma, resolution of resulting symptoms can happen much more quickly and completely. Before EMDR begins, a thorough trauma history is taken and safety mechanisms are established to support the client through the process. Then a target memory is defined drawing on various aspects of functioning; visual imagery, emotions, thoughts or beliefs and body sensation. Then a traumatic memory is activated by alternately stimulating the right and left hemispheres of the brain (called bilateral stimulation.) Stimulation can be done in a variety of ways. As the name implies, EMDR was originally conducted using eye movements. Auditory and tactile stimulation have proven to be just as effective. Once the memory is activated, the trauma experience is reprocessed using dual attention focus which allows an individual to vacillate between the traumatic material and the safety of the present moment. Grounding in the present prevents retraumatization from exposure to the experience. For additional information about EMDR, go to www.emdr.com or www.emdria.org. §
|
|
Home About Psychotherapy About EMDR Insurance, Fees and Appointments Current Therapy Groups Contact Me Forms Helpful Resources |