Stories of How EMDR Works…

EMDR helps you get unstuck. It appears to have a direct effect of turning on your ability to think while actually in the midst of an emotional reaction. In our work together, we call up the old negative emotional reaction, and with EMDR, the blocked information processing is resumed. You realize that the threat is in the past, and that the biggest problem you are experiencing is the emotional reaction that gets triggered when the memory is activated. So following a successful EMDR session, you no longer relive the images, sounds, and feelings when a traumatic event is brought to mind. You still remember what happened, but it is often much less upsetting. Many types of therapy have similar goals. However, EMDR appears to be similar to what occurs naturally during dreaming or REM (rapid eye movement) sleep. Therefore, EMDR can be thought of as a physiologically based therapy that activates you inner ability to calm disturbing memories in a new and less distressing way.

For more information about the uses and efficacy of EMDR, visit our page on EMDR Research!

“As someone who has sought counseling every few years about my weight problem, resulting in less-than-impressive results, I was initially skeptical when my coach at the ultimateU recommended that I try EMDR work with Dr. Brian Barkett. Through my sessions I am now able to acknowledge the many long-ignored issues and feelings in my life that I have kept suppressed with food as my numbing agent of choice. I have never truly tapped into the reasons before, but Dr. Brian, using EMDR, has encouraged me to talk about these strong emotions that surface when I overeat, and then he discusses with me the events/feelings responsible for them. I grew up in a family that never encouraged me to go beyond the safe constraints of my place in the social hierarchy. So when I began to realize that my potential was so much greater, I climbed the ladder of success, but always felt guilty about doing so. I never felt that my family/friends/colleagues approved of my ambition and success, so I would eventually sabotage my success, resulting in feelings of failure that I would numb with food. The best part has been that Dr. Brian has helped me to see that I have the power to change how I interpret these feelings in the future so that I accept my potential, without feeling guilty and needing to turn to food. I am experiencing a freedom in my life that I have never had before. I highly recommend Dr. Brian and the EMDR technique because, together, they have helped me to free myself from the past so that I can enjoy living in the now." -G.