Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR)
Have you experienced trauma or adverse childhood experiences (abuse, emotional neglect, divorce, abandonment, fear of failure, etc.) that keep you stuck in dysfunctional relationship patterns, no matter how much therapy you seek? EMDR could help and give quick relief.
Life Enrichment Resources, PLLC is a trusted provider of EMDR therapy in the Triangle area (Raleigh, Durham, Cary, Chapel Hill) of North Carolina.
What is EMDR?
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing is a powerful, research-backed, mind-body psychotherapy technique that can achieve rapid results for people who have experienced trauma, particularly those with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).
What happens in an EMDR session?
During EMDR therapy, you will recall a traumatic or distressing experience. You won’t need to disclose any specific details about the event. As you recall the event, your therapist will use a variety of techniques (lights, finger movement, buzzers) to get your eyes to move from left to right, back and forth.
Much like Rapid Eye Movement (REM) helps the brain process memories while you sleep, EMDR creates the conditions for the brain to process traumatic events and transform your emotional response to them. When EMDR is successful, you will walk away feeling different about the traumatic experience.
Why consider EMDR?
The World Health Organization, the American Psychiatric Association, and the U.S. Department of Defense recognize EMDR as an effective treatment for trauma.
A wealth of scientific studies demonstrates that EMDR can provide rapid relief from anxiety and distress associated with traumatic events such as car accidents, assault, injury, disasters, and tragedies. For repeated or prolonged traumas–such as childhood abuse, partner abuse, or military combat–EMDR can significantly speed up the healing process of talk therapy.
Why is EMDR helpful?
Our brains process most experiences from beginning to end, encoding memories and interpreting their significance. In a traumatic experience, this natural process can be interrupted, whereby the brain gets “stuck” in a loop, processing only the beginning and middle of that experience, never resolving it.
Each time something triggers an encoded memory of that trauma, the most primitive part of our brain instantly reacts with “fight, flight, or freeze.” This places us into “high alert” anxiety mode, before we can even register what’s happening to us.
EMDR allows the brain to “complete the loop,” so that traumatic memory no longer hijacks our brains, when it is triggered. The result? Less anxiety. Less stress. More control over your emotional wellbeing, from moment to moment.
Who are we?
Life Enrichment Resources, PLLC is a private, specialty practice with more than 55 combined years of clinical experience with top executives, professional athletes, pilots, surgeons, lawyers, and military special forces.
We provide a safe, non-judgmental, caring space where high performing individuals can discover themselves, authentically share struggles, and develop the skills and tools capabilities to heal and transform their lives from surviving to thriving.
Schedule a free, 30-minute consultation with a therapist
An opportunity for us to answer your questions, discuss your goals and priorities, and confirm that we are the best fit.
Healing from an accident
When he burned his arm while cooking dinner for his children, Jim* never imagined that he would soon wake up in the hospital at a burn unit, let alone be diagnosed with sepsis. An ordinary household accident became a traumatic experience, and it’s no surprise that long after his body healed, Jim still felt anxious each time he felt the heat of an oven or stood near an open flame.
One of our therapists recommended EMDR. After just one session, Jim experienced immediate relief from his anxieties. He can once again experience the joys of a beach bonfire or Independence Day fireworks with his children, without fear of being burned.
* Name changed, story shared with permission
Healing from childhood distress
By all accounts, Sarah* had a stable upbringing in a loving family. But her parents’ financial difficulties left Sarah with some lingering anxiety triggers about money. Although her own marriage was blessedly free of financial worries, Sarah often found herself growing agitated and fearful when the conversation turned toward money matters.
After several EMDR sessions, Sarah was able to process those old fearful emotions and break free from her anxieties. Her past experiences no longer rule her present relationship.
* Name changed, story shared with permission
Our therapist
Voted “Best Couples Therapist in the Triangle” by Indy Week, we are the trusted confidant to some of the most elite, high performing individuals and couples across the United States.
Paige Armstrong, MSW, LCSW
Founder, Pyschotherapist,
Coach, Speaker
Sarinia Bishop
Rebuild a joyful life
Schedule a 30-minute exploratory consultation with one of our therapists.