Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) Therapy Los Angeles

Is EMDR Therapy Right for You? 

You’re exhausted. You’re spending a lot of your time and energy managing your responses. You feel like you are easily triggered. You know you’ve been through some hard things in the past, and you are ready to address them (even if it’s scary).

First studied and coined by Francine Shapiro in 1987, Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) is a psychotherapy technique designed to alleviate the distress associated with traumatic memories.

It’s achieved through guided eye movements that cross from left to right in a rhythmic pattern, otherwise known as bilateral stimulation.

EMDR therapy helps desensitize and reframe traumatic experiences by engaging with both hemispheres of the brain. This promotes adaptive healing and reduces distressing symptoms.

You see, our brains tend to latch on to negative events like Velcro. When we experience something traumatic, the event can get stuck in the part of the brain that was activated during the original trauma. EMDR helps the brain move through this unprocessed material.

If you grapple with unresolved, deep-seated trauma, a qualified psychologist in Los Angeles can work with you to find relief. You can learn more about EMDR here.

Understanding Trauma: How It Happens and Its Lasting Effects

What is Trauma?

The term “trauma” is thrown around a lot these days—but what does it actually mean?

As a trauma-informed therapist, I typically explain to my clients that the term originates from the Greek word “τραύμα”, which translates to “wound” in English.

When the wounds left behind by difficult events go untreated, they can cause significant mental and physical suffering.

In a more clinical context, a traumatic response is experienced when an unexpected event (or series of events) makes an individual feel fundamentally unsafe and negatively shakes up their perception of reality.

Need a EMDR Therapist in Los Angeles? 

EMDR Therapy in Los Angeles Can Help

Attentional Problems

Individuals who have experienced trauma, especially during childhood, often struggle with attention-related issues.

They may find it challenging to focus for extended periods of time or consistently engage in activities. Additionally, these individuals can lose their ability to filter out irrelevant information, leading to more frequent distractions.

Affect Regulation Issues

Traumatized individuals often grapple with regulating their emotions. This can manifest as emotions that are too intense or extreme. On the flip side, emotions may become subdued or muted.

It’s also common that once upset, individuals may have difficulty returning to a calm or neutral state.

Maladaptive Coping Mechanisms

To deal with emotional regulation problems, traumatized individuals might resort to various maladaptive coping strategies such as self-harm, substance abuse, or eating disorders.

Relationship Challenges

Trauma, especially when it’s inflicted by a trusted individual, can lead to a skewed perception of relationships. This can result in detrimental behaviors within the relationship such as aggression, arrogance, or people-pleasing.

What’s more, these individuals may feel a constant need for self-protection. They may begin to emotionally distance themselves from their loved ones as a result.

Distorted Perception of Self

Trauma can affect the formation of one’s self-identity, negatively influencing how one perceives their place in the world. Consequently, trauma can lead to low self-esteem.

This is why traumatized individuals are often in a constant battle with unwanted or distressing memories. Moreover, they may feel constant unease or sudden and intense episodes of fear.

EMDR Therapy Los Angeles FAQ

  • In my experience, it isn’t easy to put a specific number of the length of time EMDR takes. Some individuals come in and have a few traumatic memories (or “targets”) that they want to work on, which could take a few months. Others may participate in EMDR for years. It really depends on the needs of the client and how they respond to treatment.

  • EMDR therapy may be less effective for individuals with severe dissociative disorders or active and intense substance abuse issues. However, this varies on a case-to-case basis.

    It may also be less suitable for those who are not ready to engage in trauma-focused therapy or have expectations of rapid results.

  • There’s a growing body of evidence that supports the efficacy of EMDR therapy. In one particular study, three EMDR therapy sessions led to an 84% remission of PTSD diagnosis.