Can EMDR Help With Anxiety?
Are you feeling overwhelmed and struggling with anxiety? Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) therapy is an evidence-based treatment that has been successfully used to treat a wide range of mental health issues, including many types of anxiety. Developed in the 1980s primarily as a form of trauma therapy for war veterans, EMDR has since been proven to be effective for treating Generalized Anxiety Disorder, Panic Disorder, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, Specific Phobias and Social Anxiety Disorder. With this comprehensive approach to healing, EMDR can help to alleviate symptoms of anxiety while equipping clients with the tools they need to tackle your anxieties head-on.
What sets EMDR apart from other forms of psychotherapy is its unique blend of cognitive and physiological components. By employing eye movement techniques along with traditional talk therapy strategies such as deep breathing or relaxation exercises, EMDR therapists are able to create an environment in which clients can process their emotions in a safe and effective way. Research has shown that by challenging negative beliefs and working through difficult experiences using EMDR techniques, clients can experience relief from symptoms such as racing thoughts or heart palpitations. Throughout this therapeutic journey, your therapist will be there every step of the way providing you with support and guidance as you work towards reducing your anxious feelings and achieving greater self-understanding.
How does EMDR work?
EMDR helps those who have experienced trauma or other forms of distress to process their experiences in a healthier and more adaptive way. The treatment is based on the idea that when a traumatic event is not processed effectively, it can cause disruptive memories that are stored as unprocessed information in the brain. There are 8 phases of EMDR therapy.
• Phase 1: History Taking – During this phase, your therapist will get to know you and your life experiences, including any past traumatic events which may be causing distress. This gives them an understanding of why you’re seeking treatment.
• Phase 2: Preparation – During this phase, safety measures are established with the client and some classical therapeutic techniques such as relaxation skills are introduced. They will walk you through how the sessions will work, i.e. learning the eye-movements, butterfly hug, or tapping techniques.
• Phase 3: Assessing the Target Memory – In this phase, the therapist identifies which memories need to be addressed during treatment.
• Phase 4-7: Processing the Memory to Adaptive Resolution – During these phases, bilateral stimulation such as eye movements or tapping are used to help facilitate processing of unprocessed memories or thoughts associated with trauma. These phases help you to become desensitized to the memory, strengthen positive beliefs about yourself, practice body scanning, and lastly wrapping up the session with closure.
• Phase 8: Evaluating Treatment Results – In this final phase, the therapist evaluates how successful treatment has been for you in terms of symptom reduction and improved functioning.
EMDR has been proven effective at helping individuals reduce symptoms related to PTSD such as flashbacks, nightmares, intrusive thoughts, fearfulness, avoidance behavior, anxiety and depression. It also helps you gain insight into your condition while improving self-esteem and overall quality of life by enabling you to better cope with difficult emotions related to past traumas or experiences without becoming overwhelmed by them.
How Is EMDR Different From Other Modalities?
EMDR is a unique form of psychotherapy that stands out from the other modalities in several ways. It requires fewer sessions than many other therapies, often resulting in a quicker resolution of symptoms after treatment. Additionally, EMDR does not require you to talk extensively about your trauma; rather, the therapist guides you through a structured process involving eye movements or auditory tones to help you process the trauma more effectively. EMDR does not involve extended exposure or homework like some other modalities do; instead, the therapy focuses on brief reprocessing to help you release trauma more rapidly. These elements make EMDR an attractive option for individuals looking for relief from emotional pain associated with past experiences.
Calm Again Counseling Can Help
At Calm Again Counseling, we offer EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) therapy to help treat anxiety. We understand that the symptoms of anxiety can be debilitating and can have a major impact on our daily lives. EMDR therapy is a safe and effective way to reduce symptoms of anxiety, such as fear, avoidance behavior and intrusive memories. Through EMDR therapy, we work collaboratively with clients to reprocess disturbing memories in order to break their grip on current functioning. This process helps clients gain insight into how past experiences may be influencing present functioning and helps them develop new coping skills for managing future life challenges. With compassionate and personalized care, we strive to help you reclaim your life from the grips of anxiety.
The professionals at Calm Again Counseling in the Bay Area specialize in mental health counseling. Call us today to schedule your appointment and let us help you find calm again. We look forward to hearing from you.