When a person experiences a disturbing event, their brain is often unable to process information surrounding that event in the way that it normally would. As that moment becomes “frozen in time” the person may feel as though they are reliving that event with the original sounds, images, smells, and body sensations. This can have a lasting negative effect on a person shaping how they view themselves, other people, and even the world.
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) therapy works by accessing specific parts of a memory (images, cognitions, emotions, and body sensations) and uses bilateral stimulation (e.g., eye movements, auditory, or tactile stimulation) to decrease any disturbances that are attached to the memory. During this process, the bilateral stimulation allows the brain to clear any mental blocks that are preventing the person from accurately processing a disturbing event from the past. Once the memory is fully reprocessed, it is filed away appropriately leaving little to no disturbance attached to the memory whenever it is recalled.
