Developed
in 1987 by Dr. Francine Shapiro, EMDR has been researched as an
effective treatment for psychological trauma. EMDR, which stands for Eye Movement
Desensitizing and Reprocessing, is a therapeutically directed process
of side-to-side eye movements similar to Rapid Eye Movement (REM) in
normal sleep.
While REM sleep allows the brain to dissipate daily stress, EMDR takes
this process a step further when a traumatic event has overwhelmed the
nervous system. Through the
bilateral eye movements and free association, EMDR decreases the
impact of the targeted memory. Therefore, the
memory is not erased
however the emotional response is "desensitized". The EMDR process is completed
by linking a positive thought with the memory, thus enhancing emotional
resources such as self-esteem and a sense of well-being. This
is the "reprocessing" piece of the treatment.
In
addition to integrating EMDR with psychotherapy in her practice, Marilyn
also accepts referrals from primary therapists for EMDR treatment with
clients. In such cases, a consultation agreement is made for this piece of
trauma work.
Marilyn has been trained in both levels of EMDR by
the EMDR
Institute .
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