EMDR and Your Brain: How It Reshapes Neural Pathways for Healing
Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) has become increasingly popular in recent years as a way to heal from trauma, anxiety, phobias, and more. If you’ve been interested in EMDR for a while, it’s important to know how it works — and why.
It can be hard to let go of certain memories — especially traumatic ones. The purpose of EMDR isn’t to make you forget what happened. Rather, it’s to allow you to remember what happened from a different perspective.
It does this by actually changing the way your brain thinks about those things.
Let’s take a closer look at how EMDR reshapes your neural pathways, and how that encourages the healing process.
The Power of Bilateral Stimulation
EMDR focuses on bilateral stimulation. Your therapist will guide your eye movements back and forth during your sessions. This simulates what your eyes do naturally during a REM sleep cycle. It’s during these cycles that your brain processes memories and holds onto them. By mimicking that action, you’re able to access memories that may have been pushed down while you remain in a safe, secure environment.
When you access those memories, the brain can start to heal. Think of what happens to your body when you get a paper cut. It naturally heals itself. It wants to heal itself. You just might need to help it along with a bandage or a bit of antibiotic cream.
Your brain wants to heal itself the same way. It might just need a bit of help getting there.
How Can EMDR Change the Brain?
Not only does EMDR allow you to access memories stored within your mind, but it can change the processes in certain regions of the brain.
The hippocampus and the amygdala, specifically, are often known as the stress regions of the brain. EMDR can help to reduce the hyperactivity of the amygdala often caused by emotional or mental stress. If you’ve been through a traumatic experience, for example, a hyperactive amygdala can make you feel anxious or constantly on edge.
Not only does EMDR rewire that neural pathway, but it also helps the hippocampus to increase in volume, making it easier to consolidate your memories and regulate your emotions in response to them. What does that mean for you? You’re more likely to develop healthier responses to stress. Specifically, when it comes to anxiety or trauma, EMDR can reshape your neural pathways to make those stressors feel less overwhelming and all-encompassing.
Research has also shown that new neural pathways can form when the brain goes through a rewiring process thanks to EMDR. These new pathways will help to reduce your symptoms and can lead to a life of greater emotional well-being.
Is EMDR Right for You?
While EMDR isn’t for everyone, it’s a scientifically backed approach to true healing for those struggling with traumatic memories or negative, anxious thoughts. Many people are drawn to it because it doesn’t require the same level of opening up as traditional talk therapy options.
While there is some talking involved, the healing process is about desensitization and reprocessing, so instead of trying to get rid of the memories causing problems, you can look at them with fresh eyes and feel more in control, rather than letting them control you.
It’s also a short-term therapy. You might start to notice a difference in how you feel and how you perceive certain memories in just a few sessions. It’s not just a “quick fix.” But, the rewiring work that often stems from it can free your mind up to change quickly.
If you want to learn more about the EMDR process and how it might help you, don’t hesitate to contact us for information. If you’ve been looking for an EMDR therapist near me in Miami or anywhere in the state of Florida, check out our therapist, Nicole Cheleotis, LMHC. Nicole is our EMDR therapist and she has telehealth appointments available evenings and weekends. And yes, EMDR can be done remotely and it’s been shown to be equally effective as it is in person.
