Begin, Again.
January is drawing to a close, and the holiday madness has ceded to whatever routines we can manage in these fickle times. During quiet moments, many people use this time of year to take stock, reprioritize and imagine. What does the future look like and how can I show up for it in an authentic way, in a way that aligns with my values? What do I need to do to get there?
It may be no coincidence that January is named after the Roman god Janus, who is depicted with one face looking back, into the past, and another facing forward, looking towards what is to come. As an EMDR practitioner, this duality of understanding and carrying our past with us as we continue reorienting to the present is a key to shifting our feelings, thoughts and beliefs.
EMDR, or eye movement desensitization and reprocessing, is a kind of therapy based on the adaptive information processing model. This model posits that throughout our lifetimes, experiences are digested and processed in our minds. We naturally seek to understand and interpret things that go on around us, and use that information to help us understand how to think, feel and act in the future. Most times, our minds can successfully review and store information in an adaptive way, integrated in existing memory networks. However, during especially stressful situations, our minds may not fully be able to process the information, and it winds up suspended, unable to integrate into memory networks in a functional way. Negative belief systems about ourselves, about not being safe, or good enough, remain attached to the memories. EMDR works to desensitize and “reprocess” these memories, linking them with memory networks that allow for a shift in emotions, thoughts, and beliefs in the present. This reintegration of memories can impact how we show up for ourselves in the present, and allow us to imagine the future in a different way. New internal messaging, ‘I am good enough”, “I am safe now”, can take root.
For more information about EMDR and the adaptive information processing model, you can explore https://www.emdria.org. EMDR has been extensively researched and has been proven to be an effective method of psychotherapy in treating PTSD, anxiety, depression, and more. If you are interested in some videos explaining what to expect in EMDR therapy, please check out my instagram.
I’d like to offer you an invitation this January, to imagine how you would like to show up for yourself right now, this year, and beyond. What does it look like to hold space with compassion for the survival skills that have gotten you this far, and work with your past experiences, in a way that allows you to shift the current narrative you are living out? What are you ready to set down?
If you are interested in free consultation to learn more about EMDR therapy and how it might be helpful for you, you can book online now or email me at steph@turningtidespsychotherapy.com. Wishing you all the best in 2022!
