A R T I C L E S
Eye Movement, Desensitization, and Reprocessing
EMDR causes bi-lateral stimulation of the brain's informational processing system.
This clinical trauma resolution technique can be adapted in the field to increase coping ability following a traumatic, disturbing or stressful event (e.g. nurses who witness physical suffering or death, child welfare workers observing abused children, police officers having dealt with a fatal accident, firemen dealing with the injury or death of a fellow fireman, parents dealing with an acting out adolescent).
Application: (Give yourself 5 to 10 minutes for this exercise).
Fold arms across chest, hands on upper arms.
Take very large breath, hold for a second and release.
Roll eyes upward toward ceiling on next inhale, roll eyes downward on the exhale. Repeat.
Allow muscles to relax on the exhales.
On next exhale, roll eyes over to the right and slowly squeeze right arm with left hand.
Return to center on inhale and relax.
Roll eyes to left on the next exhale and squeeze left arm.
Return to center on next inhale and relax.
Repeat 4 or 5 times.
Relax arms in lap and observe body for about 20 seconds.
Repeat.