What is EMDR?
EMDR stands for Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing Therapy. That can be a pretty big mouthful, but if we break it down EMDR is a type of therapy that can help young people heal from traumatic, upsetting, or distressing experiences and life events.
How can EMDR help?
When someone has a traumatic or an adverse experience, this experience gets stuck and is not “filed” correctly in the brain. When it is stuck this memory network holds all the distressing and upsetting bits of information that happened during the event, including all the sounds, sights, tastes, smells, and textures. When stuck, these pieces of information and memories are usually stored in fragmented pieces.
When something in your child’s present day life reminds them (usually under conscious awareness) even a little bit of the distressing memory all of those memory fragments and bits of information can come flooding back. Like, if your child was bit by a dog, anything about that event, including dogs that may or may not look the same as the dog that bit your child, the smell of the grass outside, the time of year, or being in the same physical location of the dog bite could bring up old memories.
This can create numerous difficulties for the person including big fears, avoidance, nightmares, anger, aggression, and isolation, and panic responses just to name a few.
Through EMDR young people will explore a memory through talking, drawing, playing or sand tray paired with bilateral stimulation. Bilateral stimulation is a way to get both the logical side and emotional side of the brain to “talk” to one another and make better sense of the memory. It helps the stuck memory integrate with new information - mainly that the tough traumatic event is over now and that your child is safe.
EMDR is an Evidence Based Practice, which means there has been extensive research on the effectiveness of EMDR and has been found to show significant improvement with:
Learn more about EMDR here and here
I thought EMDR was just for adults?
The healing power of EMDR can be used for both adults and children! There are special ways to even help very small and young children receive EMDR therapy with the help and support of their parents or caregivers.
How do I get started with EMDR for my child?
EMDR should only be done by a therapist trained in EMDR. Ann Meehan is one of the few therapists in the Cloquet, Duluth, and Hermantown Minnesota area trained both in EMDR and Play Therapy and has received intense training on the application of EMDR to children. Learn more about Ann HERE!
Click the link below to schedule an EMDR session for your child.
Other mental health services at Create Wellness Center for Child and Adolescent Therapy
Our Cloquet, Minnesota practice offers therapy services exclusively for children and teens who are struggling with big emotions and difficult life events. Create Wellness offers mental health counseling for children and teens with anxiety, difficulties with anger, depression, and trauma.
In addition to EMDR, we offer other specific types of specialty therapy including Play Therapy and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Dialectical Behavioral Therapy.
EMDR stands for Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing Therapy. That can be a pretty big mouthful, but if we break it down EMDR is a type of therapy that can help young people heal from traumatic, upsetting, or distressing experiences and life events.
How can EMDR help?
When someone has a traumatic or an adverse experience, this experience gets stuck and is not “filed” correctly in the brain. When it is stuck this memory network holds all the distressing and upsetting bits of information that happened during the event, including all the sounds, sights, tastes, smells, and textures. When stuck, these pieces of information and memories are usually stored in fragmented pieces.
When something in your child’s present day life reminds them (usually under conscious awareness) even a little bit of the distressing memory all of those memory fragments and bits of information can come flooding back. Like, if your child was bit by a dog, anything about that event, including dogs that may or may not look the same as the dog that bit your child, the smell of the grass outside, the time of year, or being in the same physical location of the dog bite could bring up old memories.
This can create numerous difficulties for the person including big fears, avoidance, nightmares, anger, aggression, and isolation, and panic responses just to name a few.
Through EMDR young people will explore a memory through talking, drawing, playing or sand tray paired with bilateral stimulation. Bilateral stimulation is a way to get both the logical side and emotional side of the brain to “talk” to one another and make better sense of the memory. It helps the stuck memory integrate with new information - mainly that the tough traumatic event is over now and that your child is safe.
EMDR is an Evidence Based Practice, which means there has been extensive research on the effectiveness of EMDR and has been found to show significant improvement with:
- PTSD
- Anxiety
- Depression
- Panic Disorders
- Distressing Life Events
Learn more about EMDR here and here
I thought EMDR was just for adults?
The healing power of EMDR can be used for both adults and children! There are special ways to even help very small and young children receive EMDR therapy with the help and support of their parents or caregivers.
How do I get started with EMDR for my child?
EMDR should only be done by a therapist trained in EMDR. Ann Meehan is one of the few therapists in the Cloquet, Duluth, and Hermantown Minnesota area trained both in EMDR and Play Therapy and has received intense training on the application of EMDR to children. Learn more about Ann HERE!
Click the link below to schedule an EMDR session for your child.
Other mental health services at Create Wellness Center for Child and Adolescent Therapy
Our Cloquet, Minnesota practice offers therapy services exclusively for children and teens who are struggling with big emotions and difficult life events. Create Wellness offers mental health counseling for children and teens with anxiety, difficulties with anger, depression, and trauma.
In addition to EMDR, we offer other specific types of specialty therapy including Play Therapy and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Dialectical Behavioral Therapy.
