What is it?

Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing Therapy (EMDR) is a trauma focused therapy model that utilizes Bilateral Stimulation (BLS) to help accelerate reprocessing the trauma.

What is BLS?

Bilateral stimulation comes in multiple formats. It can be tapping on your own shoulders with your arms crossed over your chest, listening to sounds that alternate between headphone sides, playing Tetris, following a light with your eyes on your computer screen, or any other thing that feels works for you that alternates sides of the body. BLS helps the reprocessing in multiple ways. It helps to keep you grounded in the present moment, preventing the nervous system from flooding. It helps to connect both sides of the brain to allow for more effective reprocessing of trauma.

What does an EMDR Session look like?

The first few EMDR sessions will be spent building skills to allow you to calm your nervous system and gathering a history so that we can determine together what would be a good starting point for reprocessing. It is important to know that the body/brain will continue to reprocess the trauma in between sessions. Once you feel comfortable with the calming skills and our starting point, we will begin the process of utilizing BLS to reprocess the trauma.

What is that button about Jameela Jamil?

The first button below will take you to a video of Jameela Jamil speaking to Russell Brand about her experience doing EMDR as a client. It is important to note that while people may have progress as quickly as 2 reprocessing sessions, not everyone will. It is also important to note that this video contains some adult language. While she does talk about her trauma, she speaks in very general terms and does not go into details other than talking about her relationship with food.