EMDR stands for Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing. It is especially helpful for changing emotional reactions, negative thought patterns, and engrained behaviors caused by distressing experiences or thoughts. EMDR is a method that treats the negative patterns in the brain, body, and nervous system all at once. It is a gentle process that uses back and forth eye movements or hand-held vibrating tappers to elicit bilateral stimulation and activate the opposite sides of the brain. This helps release emotional experiences that are “trapped” in the nervous system that we feel are “stuck” or unable to get past. This helps you heal from the experience and strengthen positive thoughts or feelings. 

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The EMDR website describes it this way:

EMDR therapy shows that the mind can in fact heal from psychological trauma much as the body recovers from physical trauma.  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.