I first heard of EMDR over 10 years ago. Being honest, I was intrigued but too exhausted to look further into it. One of those “on the back burner” moments that kept staying there for awhile! I know you can’t relate to that.
Going back further to 2003 EMDR literally consumed one paragraph in my Theories of Personality textbook when I working on my Masters degree in Virginia. I wasn’t even tested on it, or tasked with working with this new theoretical orientation that was literally starting to change people lives. It was ignored and rumoured to be too new and we needed to rely on the established theoretical frameworks.
Fast forward 18 years and here I am certified and working towards my Advanced Certification. So what changed my mind? Firstly, my own experience with it, in helping to get to the bottom of my own false belief system that I had chosen to establish. Yes, even those of qualified to practice, still need to practice our own self-actualization journeys and be aware of our own false perceptions.
EMDR first came out in the 1970’s thanks to Dr. Shapiro’s creative and investigative doctoral dissertation she completed at NYU . By the 1990’s studies worldwide were beginning to investigate why EMDR was so successful in treating veterans and other survivors of traumatic events.
Run through 1000’s of pages of reports and peer reviewed studies, a plethora of journal articles and you arrive in the mid 2000’s, when EMDR was proven as a valid and a reliable science and theory to successfully treat people across the DSM- IV TR and DSM-V spectrum.
EMDR takes the cutting edge of field of Neuroscience and integrates it with Psychology theoretical frameworks. All the while, standing on foundations of renowned theories including: Cognitive Behaviour, Psychoanalytic, Rogerian, Mindfulness, Positive Psychology, Family Systems and others. By merging the theories and using neuroscience, EMDR began to advance the field of Psychology and Mental Health across the diagnostic spectrum.
EMDR Has Been Successfully Used To Treat:
The more I have learnt about EMDR, our brains and the impact of our mental health. The more passionate I become on helping people overcome obstacles, and help to lighten their spirits when they are ready. I also become more attuned to my own pain and catch myself as I check my thoughts against “my truth” or the REAL TRUTH.
EMDR may not be for everyone, but it is definitely for those who are ready to work on themselves, and say good bye to self-defeating patterns. It isn’t easy, and often in therapy there are stages. Sometimes, just learning a new resource or skill is what that time is needed for. Others just need a safe place to deepen their own self-regulation. And others come ready to be strengthened as they are ready to forge a new path.
At Palm and Cedar, I create a safe place for women to deepen their own perspectives and help them walk fully and confidently in their unique and wonderful beauty despite the ashes, despite the sorrows and afflictions of the past and present.
I recently enjoyed Prince Harry’s statement on how EMDR has affected and changed his life for the better. If you would like to read more check his story out here on the EMDRIA website: https://www.emdria.org/emdr-in-the-news/prince-harry-speaks-out-about-his-experience-with-emdr-therapy/
If you are ready to work on any of the above: learning new resources, regulation, defeating negative belief systems, overcoming anxiety, accepting and coping with grief and loss, or even exploring a career change, we welcome you to connect with us for a complimentary consultation to see if Palm and Cedar is the right place for you.