
(EMDR)
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing

What is EMDR?
EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) is a form of psychotherapy designed to alleviate the distress associated with traumatic memories such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
EMDR allows the brain to do the processing with interventions indicated when the client’s process is stuck. EMDR was originally developed as a desensitization technique. For example, you thought about an experience that is disturbing long after the traumatic event occurrent. You now focus on it until it is not no longer disturbing.
EMDR also helps with relationship problems, self-esteem issues and self-regulation difficulties over the course of a lifetime. The symptoms are based in formative and often pervasive attachment experiences wherein people were hurt and wounded. What is missing is guidance and support during the formative years. Staying out of the way is still important, but it is not sufficient. Clients experiencing relationship problems are living with complex trauma.
The absence of the negative does not automatically translate into the positive. EMDR therapy harnesses an integrative psychotherapy approach.
The goal is to assist clients realize their sense of self, unencumbered by historic events, but defined and informed by who you are becoming now and going forward into their future.
There have been major advances in the field of attachment theory, interpersonal neurobiology, affective neurosciences and body psychotherapies. Those four areas of psychosocial boundaries have made a difference for clients. EMDR should treat the entire body which is and has been the focus of Bright Path Program. Treating the entire body brings mastery along with technique.
What Is EMDR Therapy?
EMDR therapy was established over 30 years ago and has been evolving ever since. The main goal of EMDR is to recover from stress and anxiety caused resulting by a traumatic event. EMDR helps process traumatic events.
Traumatic experiences can affect the brain in such a way as to create long-lasting and unhealed wounds. Daily events caused by sights, sounds, smells bring back the memory of a traumatic event taking you back in time to the moment of the event.
EMDR therapy addresses unresolved trauma while giving your brain the opportunity to experience the past event in a healthier way. EMDR is a series of side-to-side eye movements as you rethink a stressful or traumatic moment. The eye movements change the way that your brain recalls the trauma, desensitizing the traumatic experience.
The most common use of EMDR therapy is to post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). However, EMDR appears to be effective for other concerns as well. Emotional or psychological distress can also create unhealthy thinking patterns. EMDR retrains the neurons to respond to break the negative thought patterns contributing to your distress.
EMDR is Effective for Trauma Recovery and grief loss. Our programming provides the following recovery modalities:
- Anxiety;
- Circular Thinking;
- Require Minimal Talking;
- Improves Self-Respect; and
- EMDR provides Fast Results.
Benefits of EMDR Therapy

EMDR is Effective for Trauma Recovery and grief loss. Our programming provides the following recovery modalities:
- Anxiety;
- Circular Thinking;
- Require Minimal Talking;
- Improves Self-Respect; and
- EMDR provides Fast Results.
EMDR therapy has important benefits for people struggling with PTSD, depression and/or anxiety. The five most helpful benefits of EMDR therapy are addressed below.
Effective for Trauma Recovery
EMDR permits your brain to reorganize the thoughts, feelings and experiences connected to trauma to the point that is no longer controls daily activities.
While it is not possible to completely erase traumatic events, EMDR can reduce the amount of control your trauma has over your life (helps navigate the present day rather than living in the past).
Anxiety and Circular Thinking
EMDR therapy is also a tool for treating generalized anxiety, phobias, and other anxiety disorders. EMDR helps release circular thinking patterns. With the help of EMDR fears and worries can be addressed without becoming lost in anxiety.
Improves Perspective on Self
Negative self-image can impact almost anyone. Perhaps failures or criticisms have been trapped in your head. Maybe your inner voice tells you that you are not good enough.
EMDR replace these thoughts with new, positive benefits about yourself. By reprocessing the beliefs/experiences that have affected your self-image, you will overcome negative thoughts which in turn allowing you to relate more positively to yourself.
Does Not Require Talking
EMDR treatment does not require talking about traumatic events. Your therapist will encourage you to focus on your negative thoughts or memories as they guide eye movements, so your experience will be mostly internal. After the session, you can discuss your experience with your therapist.
EMDR therapy is an accessible form of healthcare for people who struggling to articulate their feelings in words. The makes EMDR an easier and less stressful form of therapy. You just do not have to find the words to express how you are feeling.
Fast Results
EMDR tends to be a short-term treatment. Most people attend eight to 12 weekly sessions, with the results typically being permanent. This has the added effect of limited time investment and/or funding for therapy.
Working with an EMDR Therapist
Many people have had successful EMDR therapy sessions. It is not always easy to discuss issues with a therapist. However, counselors will support you in the process to maintain better mental and emotional health.
When your brain has been stuck in unhealthy patterns for a long time, you might feel as if you may never escape your negative thoughts or stop thinking about past trauma. The thought should be that EMDR is the therapy that retrains the brain, just as massage retrains your brain after a fall and/or accident. Retraining the brain is the key to success for mental issues, as well as physical issues.
Bright Path Program offers EMDR therapy at our two out-patient clients (Sandy Springs and Buckhead). Our counselors are trained and experienced in EMDR. To learn more about our programming please fill out the information below.

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