Sometimes a negative event can have such an impact that the nervous system isn’t able to process it in the way it normally would. When this happens the memory can remain unresolved and the emotions can continue to have a negative impact long after the original experience happened.
It’s as if the traumatic memory is trapped in the body, and it can feel as distressing as when the initial event/s occurred.
This can manifest in many different ways, phobias, PTSD, C-PTSD, anxiety, panic attacks, relationship difficulties, low self esteem, sleep disorders, and OCD, (among others). These effects can last for years, or even decades, and if left unresolved may even become worse over time.
The good news is it’s completely possible to heal from past trauma and find your way back to the authentic version of yourself, the wonderful version of your true self who’s been there all along, just waiting to be rediscovered, waiting for the opportunity to heal.
And it may be easier than you’d expect. Because as hurt as we may be, there’s always a part of ourselves, the true self, who wants, is desperate in fact, to heal. And all that’s needed is the trust, the opportunity, and a safe space to be free to do that.
EMDR is a proven therapy that uses bilateral stimulation in the form of eye movements, tapping, or audio stimulation to activate each side of the brain alternatively. This allows the part of the brain where the negative memory is stored to have access to all the resources available and thereby allows the healing process to take place at last. This healing feels spontaneous and often happens quicker than you’d expect, even when the client has been effected by their problem for a long time.
EMDR therapy is backed by stringent research and much care has gone into the method to make sure that you feel safe at all times, with the therapist acting as a guide who supports you through the necessary steps.
EMDR in itself isn’t primarily a talking therapy as such, and so, if you’d prefer not to, it isn’t necessary for you to go into detail about trauma or uncomfortable memories for the process to work, . EMDR works on the body and the mind together and over the years it’s been proven to be a trusted and effective therapy.
Somatic (Advanced) EMDR takes this a step further by bringing the body more fully into the process.
We know that trauma isn’t just held in our memories and thoughts.
It lives in the body too – in tension, in physical sensations, in the way we unconsciously brace or shut down when something triggers us.
Somatic EMDR slows things right down and pays close attention to these physical responses, carefully weaving body awareness into the process. Often when a person has experienced trauma they become closed off from the body and can become somewhat disconnected from their physical feelings and sensations. This is a protective mechanism that worked really well at the time but can be resistant to change. With Somatic EMDR we go slowly and gently, healing the parts that have been suppressed and bringing the mind/body connection back into awareness. In this way healing can happen at every level – not just cognitively, but physically and somatically too.
The result is a gentler more grounded experience that honours the wisdom of the body as well as the mind.
