Blog

If you weren’t sure what EMDR stood for you’re probably not alone. This highly regarded type of therapy has been practiced since its invention in the 1980s but is continually gaining awareness for its effectiveness in Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) treatment.

What exactly is EMDR? It stands for Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing. And what does that mean? Simply put EMDR is a type of therapy with an eight step process in which the individual is asked to recall traumatic images while the therapist creates a sensory input such as side-to-side eye movements or hand tapping.

Darci Grave a Mental Health Therapist with Hope Haven specializes in EMDR therapy. In order to offer this treatment Grave underwent extensive training and education to learn the proper methods – including 50 hours of training and nine months of EMDR consultation. “This is a deeper way to deal with trauma ” stresses Grave emphasizing that thorough training is crucial when identifying a therapist who is well qualified to practice EMDR.

How do you know if you’re a candidate for EMDR therapy? This treatment was developed specifically for individuals who have a trauma disorder or who struggle with their trauma experiences. Trauma is more common than often perceived so it’s well suited for a variety of people:  victims of any type of abuse witness to abuse or violence those dealing with loss or grief issues victims of natural or man-made disasters war veterans and more.

And how long does treatment typically take? Grave says it varies based on the individual “The actual reprocessing therapy can be short but it’s the preparation stages that can take some time.