What is EMDR? EMDR at Lukin Center: Non-traditional Therapy, Healing Results Reprocess painful memories using guided eye movements. Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) is a form of psychotherapy that helps people heal from traumatic events and disturbing life experiences. EMDR allows you to re-process your memories by reliving trauma in small doses and releasing negative emotions using rapid, rhythmic eye movements. EMDR can help accelerate healing from emotional pain and past trauma. At Lukin Center, we’ve helped hundreds of EMDR patients find relief from deep-rooted emotional and psychological stress. Though it’s a fairly new and non-traditional type of therapy, EMDR is recognized by the American Psychiatric Association, the World Health Organization and the Department of Defense as an effective treatment for trauma. Our clinicians are specially trained to incorporate EMDR into treatment, and often use this method in combination with talk therapy or medication. EMDR at a Glance Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing Proven, non-traditional therapy Uses rapid, rhythmic eye movements or other stimuli Helps your brain heal from trauma or troubling past events Just as your body heals from an old injury, EMDR Therapy helps your brain heal naturally from traumatic events. What Can You Expect from EMDR at Lukin Center? EMDR can either be used as a treatment modality on its own, or you and your therapist might decide to weave EMDR techniques into your one-on-one CBT sessions to boost the effectiveness of other methods, therapies, or medication. EMDR isn’t talk therapy. Your Lukin Center therapist won’t ask you to unpack the details about your distressing memories or assign homework between sessions. The focus is simply on helping your brain resume its natural healing process and working through memories that might be “stuck” in negative patterns. A typical EMDR session might look like this: your Lukin Center therapist will direct your attention by moving their hand back and forth like a pendulum, playing musical tones, applying light tapping, or using other kinds of gentle stimuli. As you follow the movements, your therapist will ask you to recall a painful or disturbing memory, including the body sensations and emotions you felt at the time of the event. As you continue to follow the therapist’s direction, you’ll be guided toward shifting away from the painful or troubling thoughts you’ve been holding and moving toward more productive and pleasant ones. Over time, you’ll be able to remember or talk about your specific event without the negative feelings and reactions that made it difficult to live with. At Lukin Center, we take great care to match you with a highly trained EMDR therapist you can like, trust and collaborate with. Want to see how EMDR works? Watch this demonstration or this interview with Dr. Lukin. Is EMDR Right for You? EMDR helps patients of all ages process personal trauma, and trauma looks different for everyone. Your Lukin Center therapist might suggest EMDR techniques to help you address a wide range of issues, including: Anxiety, Panic Attacks, and Phobias Chronic Illness and Medical Issues Depression and Bipolar Disorders Dissociative Disorders Eating Disorders Grief and Loss Low Self-esteem Pain Performance Anxiety Personality Disorders PTSD and other trauma and stress-related issues Sexual Assault Sleep Disturbance Substance Abuse and Addiction Violence and Abuse You’re in Great Hands Here As with all psychotherapy, it’s important to find an experienced therapist you feel safe and comfortable working with. With EMDR in particular, it’s important to work with someone who is specifically licensed in the technique. Select Lukin Center staff hold additional training and certification in EMDR therapy, and like all of our therapists, they’re dedicated to ongoing training and education to make sure you get the best treatment experience possible.
