EMDR is a powerful process, developed by behavorial psychologist Francine Shapiro, which has helped hundreds of thousands of people overcome the effects of anxiety and emotional distress and to acheive peak performance.
Shapiro developed EMDR, which is only taught to clinicians, after a personal discovery. She found she was less disturbed from thinking of emotional upsets when she repeatedly moved both eyes to the right and then left.
EMDR can be used to resolve memories of past difficult emotional experiences which can affect one's current life such as physical and sexual abuse, rape, repeated business or job losses, relationship losses and prolonged grief. It can also be used to overcome the effects of current problems such as asking a boss for a raise, building the motivation to do a job search, reducing performance anxiety, setting limits with another person, reducinanxiety and distress, and overcoming phobias and panic attacks:
Examples of EMDR successes include:
· Reducing extreme anxiety from witnessing a suicicide so that client's thoughts were no longer disturbing
· Reducing extreme anxiety and panic caused by a work incident that kept a client from applying for a job
· Overcoming obstacles that kept a sales client from making cold calls
· Overcoming belief of being incompetent
· Overcoming fear caused by previous stalking and physical abuse
EMDR is sometimes helpful when talk pyschotherapy reaches its limits as it may bring up past events to be processed that did not previously arise. It also helps people acheive their goals though positive imaging or imagining themselves meeting their goals while using EMDR. It is well known that Olympic champions do positive imaging or imagining at least 15 minues a day. EMDR has been found to make this positive imaging even more effective. EMDR clients often have positive solutions to to problems and positive feelings arise naturally in them.
HOW DOES EMDR WORK?
Research is constantly being conducted to understand how EMDR works. It is known that it works on the brain and produces a physiological change on a neurological level. We know that when a person becomes very upset by a difficult emotional experience or trauma, there is an overload on the system and information processing is blocked. There is an overexcitation of the braine and a resulting change of neural elements. It is believed that the upsetting event also prevents REM sleep, the nightly sleep that helps people process normal emotional events of the day.
The neurological blockage causes the incident to remain in the body in its anxiety-producing form along with the original thoughts, feelings, flashbacks or nightmare.
Shapiro believes that EMDR unlocks the neural channels in the brain and increases REM sleep, allowing the brain to complete the processing which was blocked by the traumatic event.
EMDR is not hypnosis, and the client feels more in control as s/he is in a different brain wave state than under hypnosis. Research shows that the effects of EMDR are long lasting. One study of 80 subjects with post-traumatic stress improved significantly with EMDR and the beneficial process remained for at least 15 months.
HOW LONG DOES EMDR TAKE?
One or more sessions area needed for the therapist to understa nd the problem to be solved. A typical course of treatment may be three to ten EMDR sessions, each 60 or 90 minutes long. EMDR, often used in conjunctions with talk therapy, may take longer, depending on the nature of the trauma and how many times it or related traumas occurred.
WHAT IS AN EMDR SESSION LIKE?
I typically guide the client to find a safe place in their mind such as a place in the mountains, by the water or at home. This is to relax the client and to provide a safe internal place for the client to go in case of any of the material experienced is disturbing. The client always has the option of stopping the session any time s/he pleases. I then ask the client to describe the disturbing information in detail as well as related emotions, body sensations, and any negative self-assessment that resulted from the incident such as "I'm trapped," "I'm powerless," etc.
Depending on the clients preferred method of taking in information, I have him/her process the experience using eye movements, sounds in alternative ears using earphones or with handles that stimulate each hand with a vibration. The idea is to obtain bilateral stimuation with these methods. After the disturbance is reduced, I then ask the client to image the event as she/he would have liked it to happen and continue with the eye movements, sounds or hand sensations. I keep asking the client to tell me what they are experiencing and guide them through the experience.
After an issue is worked through, clients typically feel empowered, less anxious, light, more positive and relieved. Having removed their blocks, they are able to move forward with the life changes they wish to make. EMDR does not work for everyone, but the powerful process has helped thousands of peopple to overcome the effects of anxiety and emotional distress and to acheive peak performance.
Minimum training for EMDR practitioners is two three day training sessions.
In addition to these trainings, certified practitioners have 20 sessions with a higher level trainer who supervises the practitioners EMDR practice during that period. Certified practioners have to meet additional EMDR educational requirements every two years.
What is embarrassment? Embarrassment is a form of emotion that makes us feel professionally or socially wrong in regards to words, thoughts and actions, as perceived and pointed out to us by other people. This can result in some loss of personal dignity or honor, but the type and amount is all Dependant on the situation at the time.
Embarrassment has been confused by some with shame. Shame is different in that the person who has been shamed has done something that to others or society is considered to be wrong morally.
There are two main forms of embarrassment, including professional and personal. Each one has distinctive, but similar characteristics.
Professional
Professional embarrassment or official embarrassment is defined by a lack of confidence in actions taken or the deliberate ignoring of evidence in work. When this involves embarrassment at work or on official business, this may have come as a result of the loss of materials, money or even life. Some examples of these include corrupt government practices, failure in public policies, unethical forms of behavior, personal actions and habits of a public figure that face legal redress or public opinion, or alternatively official people caught in personal situations that cause them embarrassment.
Such forms of embarrassment do not need to be major in nature. The tiniest miscalculation or error can result in more official or public embarrassment, especially if this relates to safety of people. One example of this can be found in the Challenger space shuttle disaster, where human error prior to the launch resulted in the deaths of all the astronauts, NASA was publicly embarrassed and the errors/miscalculations could have been avoided had proper action been taken.
Of course, not every professional type embarrassment becomes so publicly known. Some events occur that create embarrassment, but for the person themselves. An example of this is when a political candidate loses an election. The person involved has not done anything wrong, but the hopes of many of the people supporting this person were dashed and as a result the candidate will feel embarrassment. Alternatively, a medical researcher can propose a theory that is widely upheld by the medical community, only to find that they did not account for something in that theory and someone proves the theory to be invalid. The researcher would not be publicly embarrassed as much as they would feel a lower level of personal embarrassment.
Generally speaking, official or public embarrassment results in a public outrage, the denial of any involvement on the part of the person who caused the embarrassing situation, or an attempt to make the embarrassment not look as bad or serious as it appears. In some cases, the embarrassed party will take steps to remedy the situation by issuing press releases/statements, resign their position, move, avoid the press or the general public, accept a demotion or loss of employment and may even behave as if there was nothing that occurred.
Personal
Embarrassment can be more personal. In this case the person can have unwanted intrusion into their personal affairs or mistakes. Their character may even be questioned by others, especially when the embarrassment is as a result of such actions a lying, losing a competition, burping, passing wind or being caught in the act of sex. In some cultures, incorrect forms of dress are considered embarrassing.
Another form of this embarrassment can come as the result of what other people do to the embarrassed person. Some examples include a parent showing baby pictures to the boyfriend of their daughter that they hardly know, unwarranted comments or criticism about the way that person is attired or behaving, being the topic of unknown gossip, personal rejection, being pushed into being a focal point of attention, or seeing someone else getting embarrassed.
When a person is personally embarrassed, for whatever reason, they can experience one or all of the following reactions:
? Blushing
? Nervousness
? Sweating
? Fidgeting
? Stammering
? Twitching
Most people will initially try to cover up their feeling of embarrassment by laughing in a nervous fashion or donning a weak smile. This is perfectly normal in situations where a breach of etiquette has occurred. In more embarrassing situations, though, a person, may faint, cry or even runaway.
Embarrassment is a normal reaction to situations where a loss of face, mistake or even a willful error has been made. Each person has a different response to embarrassing situations, and Dependant on the person's standards and the situation itself, the person may not feel embarrassed at all.
Both Pam Alexandra, MFT & Gary M. Miller are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
Pam Alexandra, MFT has sinced written about articles on various topics from Medicine. Pam Alexandra MFT helps you develop inner resources for life-giving responses to life challenges. Explore new ways to build self-esteem and empower you for new choices. Contact Pam at. Pam Alexandra, MFT's top article generates over 1000 views. to your Favourites.
Gary M. Miller has sinced written about articles on various topics from Religion, Web Development and Sleep Disorder. Gary Miller was so scared that he actually passed out during a presentation and couldn't talk after due to numerous social anxieties. To learn more about his journey to recovery and weekly FREE Social Anxiety coping techniques, you can visit his web site. Gary M. Miller's top article generates over 90500 views. to your Favourites.