Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) is a proven, highly effective mind/body therapy method and technique for rapid and sustainable relief from many conditions and symptoms. It is not talk therapy per se but uses imagery and free association coupled with side-to-side body activation to process painful images so they no longer hold the same emotional charge (by tapping the body, hearing alternating tones, and looking at a light bar back and forth). Once you've properly processed and integrated a distressing memory, your brain can hold it like other memories and not fragment it into pieces that intrude into the present so the memory can become less threatening and evoke less psychological arousal.

Attachment-Focused Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (AF-EMDR) uses a modified protocol for EMDR that focuses on the attachments people form with a parental figure during childhood. AF-EMDR addresses the effects of neglect or abuse on the developing brain and can significantly help those who have insecure attachment styles and relational trauma. This type of trauma can include neglect, parental misattunement, sexual or physical abuse, betrayal, or having parents with drug or alcohol abuse problems or mental illness.

I first tried EMDR for performance anxiety many years ago after I suffered a panic attack during a work presentation. It was a terrible experience. Like many others, I already struggled with fear around public speaking but now found it interfering significantly with my job. I wondered how or if I could continue. I hadn't known much about EMDR before this and was a little skeptical it could make a difference, but after a few sessions, I was getting a lot of relief from my anxiety, both around what happened and public speaking in general. After several more sessions, I could still remember what happened that day. Yet, I no longer felt emotional about it, did not experience physical symptoms around public speaking anymore, and even had compassion for myself for having gone through it. It was like, "Oh, that happened, but it doesn't define me, and I don't have to be afraid of it in the future." The issue no longer held power over me.

This positive experience with EMDR made me curious about what else it could address regarding other challenges in my life and how it could help my clients. I tried Attachment-Focused EMDR (AF-EMDR), which is a modified form of standard EMDR that emphasizes relational trauma and childhood wounds that can lead to and affect how we view ourselves and others today. It was a game-changer for me. Although it took more sessions to tackle than performance anxiety, after that, I felt different inside. I felt lighter. I felt like the core negative beliefs I had about myself shifted and were no longer ever-present. I had a sense of compassion for myself and others in my life that I didn't have before. It wasn't a silver bullet, but this process truly transformed me in many ways I didn't think possible. Due to my firm belief in this method, I dedicated myself to learning both types of EMDR, which allows me to offer my clients the same benefits it afforded me. In my work with clients using EMDR, I have seen a transformation happen before my eyes on various complicated, life-long-standing issues that other types of therapy haven't been enough to get true relief, and it is so rewarding to be able to help them.