One day while walking in the park, Dr. Francine Shapiro realized that the eye movements, which we still use today as an information processing model, eliminated the disturbing symptoms of some of her memories that she thought were disturbing her, and she began to do research on this. She discovers that when it comes to disturbing thoughts or memories, moving the eyes in a certain order and speed removes negative thoughts from consciousness. When trying to remember the negative memory again, it is seen that the symptoms that occurred before do not occur again. Afterwards, a protocol is developed and implemented within the scope of scientific research so that it can be applied regularly and have the same effect on other people with discomfort. As a result of all the scientific research conducted, a textbook on EMDR Therapy was published in 1995. Today, EMDR, which is accepted as a therapy method by the American Psychiatric Association, is also used by ministries of defense for the treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder in soldiers exposed to trauma.
How Does the Procedure Work in EMDR and How is Change Achieved?
Every new experience you have goes to your brain as new information. For example, if you experience violence, harassment or a traffic accident, your brain acquires some information. This information takes place as the images you see, the smells you smell, the sounds you hear and even the tastes on the day you experience the event. If this event and all the information acquired are too much for the brain to process, the disturbing memories will revive every time you remember this event, see a similar image of the event, smell or taste a similar thing, or hear a sound, even though months or even years have passed. With EMDR, this information that you have experienced in the past and remained unprocessed in your memory is accessed and the information processing system of the brain is stimulated. By applying short-term eye movements, bilateral touches or 30-45 second sets with the help of an EMDR sound device, your stuck negative memories are transformed into a learning experience and new connections are made that lead to a solution. An example To put it simply, the emotions a woman who was a rape victim felt towards the traumatic event she experienced were "shame and fear" and her negative belief about herself was "I am a weak person or worthless", but after EMDR treatment, she became healthier and more confident as "the shame does not belong to me, I am a strong woman". It is provided to develop self-confident feelings and thoughts.
Which Problems is Used in Counseling:
Especially the symptoms caused by all traumatic events;
Panic attack
Social phobia
Depression
OCD
Sexual, physical and emotional abuse
Sexual assault
Disturbing memories
Trauma and concerns about birth
Fear of Flying
Fear and anxiety about sleep
Performance Anxiety: Stage fright for actors, athletes, musicians and instructors
Performance improvement
Test Anxiety
Feelings of betrayal and rejection
Anger Management
Anxiety and fears experienced by children
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