EMDR Therapy: more than just a trauma treatment
EMDR therapy has gained popularity in the past few years. EMDR therapy is most commonly discussed as a trauma treatment or in the context of PTSD treatment, but the effectiveness of EMDR therapy does not end there. Today we will take a deeper dive into EMDR therapy and the evidence for its effectiveness with various mental health concerns.
Generalized anxiety. Generalized anxiety disorder is one of the most commonly diagnosed disorders amongst mental health disorders. EMDR therapy has been shown to be an effective intervention for generalized anxiety disorder treatment, and many participants in a standardized study even reported a reduction of symptoms below the threshold for diagnostic criteria.
Click here to read more about the impact of EMDR therapy to manage, reduce, and even treat generalized anxiety disorder.
Performance anxiety and performance enhancement. EMDR therapy is not just a therapy model aimed at addressing traumatic exposure; it can actually be used to enhance performance and optimize positive feelings associated with different tasks.
Performance enhancement elements of EMDR therapy have been used to assist individuals in all sorts of areas to optimize their abilities.
From professional sports players to public speaking engagements to test performance and even artists and musicians, the performance enhancement attributes of EMDR therapy can assist individuals in harnessing the power of their brain and body connection to achieve their peak performance.
Emotional reactivity. As EMDR therapists, we often say that if an emotional response that a client is experiencing is not proportional to the stimuli of a given moment, there is likely something that needs processing fueling that emotional response. Emotional reactivity is one of the most common reasons that an individual may come to therapy or seek out counseling services. Emotional reactivity can take on many forms from anger to sadness, or uncontrolled tears. EMDR therapy is a great way for therapists to partner with clients in addressing the specific emotions that may be overwhelming or flooding a client, and assist them in reaching their goals of being able to navigate their emotional responses in a way that is proportional and in tune to their present circumstances.
Phobias. Phobias are strong and specific fears related to objects, situations, or specific stimuli. Phobias can be highly invasive and at times, debilitating to the individuals suffering from them. EMDR therapy has been shown to be an effective treatment at reducing the fear response associated with phobias in a relatively short time.
Addiction and substance use disorder. There is a high correlation between trauma exposure and addiction and substance use disorders. And while it makes sense that EMDR therapy can be an effective treatment for the trauma associated with substance use disorders, there are actually specific protocols that EMDR therapists may be trained in to assist clients in reducing the urges associated with substance use disorders. For many clients, these are an effective aid in addiction recovery and substance use disorder counseling. You may want to ask a potential EMDR therapist if they are trained to apply EMDR therapy to addiction recovery, as there are additional supplemental training that some EMDR therapists choose complete to specialize enhance their specialty in addiction counseling and substance use disorder recovery.
Click here to learn more about the connection between trauma and addiction.
Chronic pain. Pain and pain management is often thought of as a purely medical issue to address, but that may not be entirely true.
EMDR therapy focused on the mind-body connection as a part of all of our experiences.
EMDR therapy has been shown to assist chronic pain patients in reducing their pain levels. EMDR therapist are even employed as a part of multidisciplinary team in clinics specializing in chronic pain management.
Attachment disorders. Attachment disorders can often be considered or understood in terms of developmental or attachment trauma. Attachment disorders can impact individuals and their ability to form relationships even into adulthood. EMDR therapy has the ability to target the disrupted relationships, released the distress associated with them, and work to repair the thoughts feelings and behaviors associated with these attachment wounds. This application of EMDR therapy works to assist individuals and gaining the ability to manage and navigate relationships from a healthy secure space.
Are you interested in learning more about EMDR therapy? Are you a resident of the Dallas, Fort Worth, Arlington areas and are interested in meeting one of our EMDR therapist in person at our Arlington, TX office?
OR, Are you a Texas resident and interested in learning more about how online therapy may be able to help you with your anxiety, trauma, addiction/ substance use, or other mental health concern journey? Check out our counseling services or meet with a member of our quality Texas counselors who are ready to help you with the next steps in your mental health journey.
