BH Empowerment Strategies
On June 21, 1994, Alice's life changed forever when she was brutally raped on her way to work. The traumatic incident left her feeling hopeless, convinced that she would never be able to return to work or enjoy intimacy with her husband again. However, after seeing a segment on ABC's 20/20 about a treatment called EMDR, Alice and her husband decided to give it a try.
Over the course of 10 sessions, including 6 sessions that incorporated EMDR, Alice made significant progress in overcoming the psychological pain caused by the rape. With newfound strength and resilience, she was able to find a new job and, for the first time since the incident, engage in sexual contact with her husband without being plagued by intrusive thoughts of the assault. EMDR had given Alice the tools she needed to move beyond her trauma and reclaim her life.
"EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) provides a way for people to free themselves of destructive memories and it seems to work, even in cases where years of conventional therapy have failed." - Hugh Downs, 20/20, ABC News
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) is a therapeutic process which will clear troubling emotions and negative thinking linked to trauma and other painful past experiences. Patients have said that EMDR helped them more in one session than other therapies had in years.
"Barry first suggested EMDR explaining that it could help me break my blocks fast. Initially, I was skeptical of such sudden change. However, immediately after my first EMDR session I began to feel tremendous positive change and a genuine boost in my self esteem. As a result I was able to trust my feelings and make better decisions by listening to my gut. EMDR is painless and effective. I recommend it to anyone who is interested in making real progress quickly.
--Celine Ruben-Salama
EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) is a therapeutic technique that helps individuals process and overcome traumatic memories. During an EMDR session, the patient is guided to focus on a traumatic memory while making rapid eye movements by following the therapist's fingers or an object.
As the session begins, the patient becomes aware of the thoughts and emotions associated with the memory. As the process continues, the perception of the memory begins to change, with a potential increase in emotional intensity or a fading of the memory itself. Regardless of the specific changes, the negative thoughts and emotions associated with the memory begin to fade and are replaced with more positive ones.
By the end of the session, the patient remembers the event but is no longer haunted or disturbed by it. This transformation can lead to a change in the way the patient views other aspects of their life, allowing for greater emotional freedom and a more positive outlook. Overall, EMDR can be a powerful tool for those seeking to overcome traumatic memories and lead a more fulfilling life.