Status Updates From Self-Guided EMDR Therapy & ...

The butterfly hug has been used to calm and soothe people caught up in natural disasters and other traumatic events. It is effective in times of great emotional distress. Cross your arms and rest each hand on the opposite shoulder. Focus on your breathing, and maybe bring to mind the image of your safe place. When you begin to feel calmer you can tap your hands alternately on each shoulder six times. Take a breath

The Safe Place Take slow breaths and focus on a safe and calm place in your mind. It could be real or imagined. Use all of your senses and focus on the sights, sounds and smells of your safe place. This can be difficult to begin with, but with daily five-minute practice you will be able to transport yourself to your safe place whenever you need to. Having a pic of the place can make this exercise a lot easier

GROUNDING EXERCISES To remain grounded during sessions, and enable you to cope w ur emotions during the weeks/months of treatment, a therapist will teach you emotional stability and relaxation techniques. Breathing techniques, meditation, mindfulness, self-hypnosis, physical exercise can help you manage your symptoms, but two techniques that benefit EMDR clients in particular are The Safe Place and The Butterfly Hug.

Empowering yourself with the ability to self-soothe will help you to feel in control during sessions and it is a useful skill for the future in times of stress. Those who are able to manage their own emotions are less susceptible to trauma.

It is helpful to identify any strengths, positive attitudes and behaviors that you already possess. These can be strengthened during the reprocessing stage of the therapy and used to build your confidence when you are preparing for future events. As new issues arise during the active therapy sessions, it may be necessary to revisit this planning stage.

It is rare for a person to lose all of their memories, but gaslighting (where the target's perception of reality is subtly altered to the point they perceive unhealthy behavior as normal,) can be one explanation.

However, sometimes an event may occur that is so disturbing that it overloads the brain and prevents it from completing this all-important memory-processing task. Instead, the memory gets stored along with the physical sensations and negative emotions, where it is easily, and often repeatedly, triggered in our everyday lives.

insensitive adults, parental discord, death, and divorce Major traumas such as serious injuries or life threatening situations War trauma Abuse and assaults (sexual, physical, emotional) Emotionally charged experiences, including family arguments Work problems Stress Poor relationship choices Over-reacting to normal situations

Embarrassment Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) Sleep problems, including nightmares and disrupted sleep Performance anxiety Driving issues Unresolved grief Eating disorders Chronic pain Phobias Addictions Childhood experiences, including bullying,

any disturbing memory that causes an emotional and physiological reaction is a good target for EMDR therapy.

Although EMDR has not been proved to have an effect on panic disorders or phobias, some therapists argue that EMDR can be successfully used on any event that the client finds disturbing. Examples of Issues that EMDR can treat Anxiety and panic Depression Anger Dysfunctional attachment