Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) is an evidence-based treatment model that enables people to heal from the symptoms and emotional distress that are the result of disturbing life experiences.
Repeated studies show that by using EMDR therapy, people can experience the benefits of psychotherapy that once took years to make a difference. It is widely assumed that severe emotional pain requires a long time to heal. Heartland Behavioral Health services provides EMDR for children and adolescents.
Originally developed to treat Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), EMDR therapy shows that the mind can in fact heal from psychological trauma much as the body recovers from physical injury. When you cut your hand, your body works to close the wound. If a foreign object or repeated injury irritates the wound, it festers and causes pain. Once the block is removed, healing resumes.
EMDR therapy demonstrates that a similar sequence of events occurs with mental processes. The brain’s information processing system naturally moves toward mental health. If the system is blocked or imbalanced by the impact of a disturbing event, the emotional wound festers and can cause intense suffering. Once the block is removed, healing resumes. Using the detailed protocols and procedures learned in EMDR therapy training sessions, clinicians help clients activate their natural healing processes.
EMDR involves a brief period in which the patient focuses intensely on a traumatic event while following the therapist move their fingers. This is repeated with other elements of emotional distress until the trauma is fully healed.
It is important to note that patients are screened to determine their readiness for EMDR. A full course of EMDR through all phases may require a longer length of stay than what a patient may require in the Residential Treatment setting. It is important that an outpatient EMDR therapist be accessed in these circumstances. In addition, prior to the initiation of EMDR, it is critical that the patient independently demonstrate the ability to implement some distress tolerance and emotion regulation skills.
Heartland Behavioral Health Services provides acute inpatient and residential treatment services to children and adolescents at our treatment facilities in Nevada, Missouri. We cannot offer a diagnosis, counseling or recommendations online, however, our professional staff offer 24/7 assessments at no cost. We can be reached anytime by calling 800-654-9605. If you need immediate medical assistance, contact 911 or seek the nearest emergency room.
What is EMDR?. (2018). EMDR Institute,Inc. Retrieved from: http://www.emdr.com/what-is-emdr/