Brainspotting & EMDR
Brainspotting
Brainspotting is a powerful, neuro-physiological (brain-body)
treatment which targets the brain’s natural healing mechanisms, using specific eye positions and somatic experiencing. It is an highly effective treatment for painful life events, trauma, PTSD, anxiety, inattention issues (ADHD), anger, phobias, chronic fatigue, chronic pain and stress.
The premise of Brainspotting is that "where you look affects how you feel". In a Brainspotting therapy session, the therapist slowly moves a a pointer across a client's visual field, until the client or therapist find a “Brainspot" - an eye position that corresponds to a traumatic memory or painful emotion. The therapist then guides the client to mindfully observe what they are experiencing in their body. Doing this allows the client to access the limbic system (the emotional part of the brain) and allows the brain-body to use it's own natural healing mechanisms to process and resolve emotional memories and blocks.
Brainspotting targets unprocessed emotional memories in the deeper layers of the brain. When those memories remain unprocessed you may find that you are easily emotionally triggered by anything that is even remotely similar to the earlier, unprocessed memories. When they are processed and resolved, you will likely find that things that used to upset you just don't upset you anymore.
Research has shown that Brainspotting is as effect, if not more effective than EMDR therapy, of which it evolved from. I often use both Brainspotting and EMDR with my clients. Which approach we use at any given time will depend on your presenting problems, needs and preference.
I continue to be amazed at the profound and rapid healing that can happen with Brainspotting.
Certified in Brainspotting Therapy in Hamilton
Certified in Brainspotting Therapy in Ancaster
Certified in Brainspotting Psychotherapist
Certified in Brainspotting Therapist
EMDR
EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing) is a
neuro-physiological (brain-body) treatment which targets the brain’s natural healing mechanisms. The style of EMDR I use with my clients is called S.A.F.E. EMDR. "SAFE" stands for Somatic (body) and Attachment Focused EMDR.
EMDR is a highly effective treatment for painful life events and trauma including: PTSD, single incident trauma (ex. car accident, natural distasters, sexual assault), complex trauma (repeated traumatic experiences) and developmental trauma (repeatedly childhood trauma/abuse).
Trauma affects how memories are stored in the brain. It's as if the painful life events we experience don't get the time and date stamp so that your brain knows the trauma is over. Instead the past remains present. Unhealed trauma can affect your emotions, cognitive abilities (ex. memory and focus) and physical health (that pain in your back may just be unhealed trauma stored in your body!)
By using EMDR to process dysfunctionally stored memories this allows them to be resolved and sent off to long-term memory so that the they don't have the same emotional intensity. The past is no longer present.
EMDR helps you process unresolved traumas by using eye movements or bi-lateral stimulation (activating left & right brain repeatedly). Using EMDR to process painful life events at this deep level creates cognitive, emotional and physiological changes - it actually changes your brain! The way you think and feel emotionally and physically can change.
EDMR has been well researched. Studies completed with veterans showed that 77% of participants experienced relief of symptoms of PTSD after just 12 EMDR treatments. Another study on single-trauma PTSD cases (ex. car accidents, one time sexual assualt) indicated that 84-100% of participants were healed in less than 5 treatments.
Why choose S.A.F.E. EMDR? This approach to EMDR helps address common blocks that come up in EMDR for people who have experienced complex trauma. The ultimate goal of the S.A.F.E. EMDR approach is to provide the most safe and efficient way to reprocess with EMDR Therapy. S.A.F.E. EMDR offers a simplified somatic and attachment approach using principles of nonviolence and mindfulness.
EMDR Therapy Ancaster, EMDR Therapy Hamilton
EMDR Psychotherapist, EMDR Therapist
