Sherry Lehmann Counseling
1600 W. Eau Gallie Blvd. Suite 201 H
Melbourne, Florida 32935
Specializing in Anxiety, Panic, Trauma, PTSD, and Couples Counseling
Attachment Theory, CBT, Psychodynamic, & EMDR Trained
Healing Trauma with EMDR
What is EMDR?
EMDR, as with most therapy approaches, focuses on the individual’s present concerns. The EMDR approach believes past emotionally-charged
experiences are overly influencing your present emotions, sensations, and thoughts about yourself. As an example: “Do you ever feel worthless
although you know you are a worthwhile person?”
EMDR processing helps you break through the emotional blocks that are keeping you from living an adaptive, emotionally healthy life. EMDR uses rapid sets of eye movements to help you update disturbing experiences, much like what occurs when we sleep. During sleep, we alternate between regular sleep and REM (rapid eye movement). This sleep pattern helps you process things that are troubling you. EMDR replicates this sleep pattern by alternating between sets of eye movements and brief reports about what you are noticing. This alternating process helps you update your
memories to a healthier present perspective.
What is different about EMDR?
• EMDR focuses on the brain’s ability to constantly learn, taking past experiences, and updating them with present information.
• Adaptive learning is constantly updating memory network systems.
• Past emotionally-charged experiences often interfere with your updating process.
• EMDR breaks through that interference and helps let go of the past and update your experiences to a healthier present perspective.
• EMDR uses a set of procedures to organize your negative and positive feelings, emotions, and thoughts, and then uses bilateral stimulation,
such as eye movements or alternating tapping, as the way to help you effectively work through those disturbing memories.
• It is not necessary to talk about all the details of your experiences for them to be processed.
• Emotions and sensations may come up during processing; although, you will be prepared and your therapist will helpyou safely manage them. Once they are processed, they rarely come back
• EMDR is not like hypnosis. During EMDR processing, you are present and fully in control.
• EMDR, as with all treatment approaches, will help you accomplish your treatment goals.
• The length of time that it takes is dependent upon the complexity of your problems.
• Frequently, EMDR is only one of several treatment approaches that will be used to help you reach your treatment goals