Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR)

Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing is a way to let go of recent or past traumas. Its effectiveness has been well researched and I have used it to help many of my clients for a number of years now.

I once was called to a situation where a beloved bank president of a small local bank had died in an auto accident. (And yes, there are some bank presidents who are loved and respected by their employees.) All of the bank employees were in shock and in need of immediate help. I was asked to assist them. I used some EMDR processes with the most distressed employees and then taught some of the other employees how to help each other. Within an hour the employees progressed from being in shock and overwhelmed with grief to comfortably reminiscing about the goods times and the joy this widely admired president had brought into their lives. They were able to support each other and not fall apart.

EMDR is an information processing therapy that uses a structured approach to reduce the emotional pain of traumatic events and put the client's coping abilities to work. During a treatment session the client may look at and follow a moving object or pay attention to taps on one side and then the other. while paying attention to these external activities, the client is asked to think about experiences and emotions associated with the traumatic event.

This process reduces the intensity of the emotional pain connected with the trauma and makes it possible for the client to begin to have insight into the situation. That makes it possible to understand what happened and get on with life with new confidence and abilities. The best part about EMDR is that the process of going from discomfort of the past to comfort and a sense of confidance happens in minutes not years!

I look forward to being of help.

My address is:

Karen Gless, Ph.D.
3660 Clairemont Drive, Suite 9
San Diego, California 92117

858-273-2980

Sincerely,
Karen Gless Ph.D.