My Personal Experience with EMDR Therapy

Inspiration can come from the most unlikely of places, even from the office of your therapist. Therapy is a new revelation for me, but it is time to heal wounds from my childhood that have long remained. Pushing them deep down inside is a tragedy just waiting to happen. Last week, I located a therapist in our area that specializes in EMDR(Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing). therapy for childhood trauma.

EMDR uses eye movement and mental imagery to replace negative thoughts with happy ones. That is what I take from the large textbook-like description from EMDR.com. I also want people to know that it is a good option for anyone diagnosed with PTSD(Post Traumatic Stress Disorder). PTSD acquired from childhood and war have both been successfully treated with as few as 3 EMDR sessions and as many as 10 to 12. Not only that, but many insurance companies pay for this therapy, because it has been studied and documented in its effectiveness.

So what of my first session? I think it was just that...my first session. I did note lots of resentment towards my mother following the session. The session felt like a roller coaster of emotions, but primarily it evoked happy thoughts, which I believe is the point. My life at present is quite happy. I have a great support system via my husband and his extended family. I have two wonderful and very bouncy boys. My life is generally a very happy one, but until I face myself and these open wounds I can never truly heal. I no longer have to merely survive. I can get myself to a place so that I may thrive. The negative demons no longer have a place in my life.

You can follow along with my EMDR therapy progress here. I will blog about each session consecutively. Perhaps, this may help someone down the line and if this information helps just one person then it is worth putting my strife out there for all to read. Want to know more about my childhood trauma? Read more here and here. Positive feedback? Please comment below. Negative feedback? I have a sage stick with your name on it. Have a great Thanksgiving holiday everyone!