I discovered EMDR when I was trying to quit smoking. I had attempted to quit several times but always went back after just a few weeks. After just one session, the immediate cravings had greatly reduced and through the sessions, I gained some clarity on the reasons why I started smoking in the first place, which made it much easier to stay away from it. I highly recommend EMDR!”
– M.
What is EMDR?
EMDR is a brain-based therapy that reduces feelings of emotional distress related to past experiences. By making your system less sensitive to certain memories, you can create opportunities for relief, freedom, and joy in everyday life.
What does EMDR Treat?
Originally developed to treat PTSD and general trauma-related symptoms, EMDR is also effective in treating anxiety, panic, addiction, phobias, grief, depression, sexual dysfunction, dissociative disorders, somatic symptoms, and many forms of cognitive and emotional pain.
What to Expect
EMDR therapy is an eight-phase treatment which use bilateral sensation (noises, feelings, or sights on both your left and right side) to desensitize disturbing emotions.
The more repeated the trauma and the younger the person was at the time it occurred, the more complex the symptoms and their treatment. For more information about EMDR processing and overall treatment, read Experiencing EMDR therapy.
Research
EMDR has an extraordinary amount of research considering that it is a relatively “young” therapy—roughly 35 years old. The International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies, rated EMDR a “Level A” treatment, the highest possible rating.
Controlled studies suggest that EMDR is as effective as CBT with exposure therapy. Advantages of EMDR over exposure therapy include the fact that EMDR does not require any homework. Additionally, EMDR processing is not prolonged; rather, its length is determined by you and your therapist. Finally, EMDR is nonverbal, making it effective for those who prefer not to engage in exclusively talk-based therapy.
FAQ
For more information, EMDR International has a comprehensive overview of EMDR.
The following Viva therapists have undergone extensive training in and currently practice EMDR:
