What is EMDR therapy and how can it help you?

What is EMDR therapy?

Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) therapy is an extensively researched, effective psychotherapy method proven to help people recover from trauma and other distressing life experiences, including PTSD, anxiety, depression, and panic disorders.

Who can benefit from EMDR therapy?

EMDR therapy helps children and adults of all ages. Therapists use EMDR therapy to address a wide range of challenges:

• Anxiety, panic attacks, and phobias

• Chronic Illness and medical issues

• Depression and bipolar disorders

• Dissociative disorders

• Eating disorders

• Grief and loss

• Pain

• Performance anxiety

• Personality disorders

• PTSD and other trauma and stress-related issues

• Sexual assault

• Sleep disturbance

• Substance abuse and addiction

• Violence and abuse

How is EMDR therapy different from other therapies?

EMDR therapy does not require talking in detail about the distressing issue or

completing homework between sessions. EMDR therapy, rather than focusing on changing the

emotions, thoughts, or behaviors resulting from the distressing issue, allows the brain to

resume its natural healing process.

EMDR therapy is designed to resolve unprocessed traumatic memories in the brain. For

many clients, EMDR therapy can be completed in fewer sessions than other

psychotherapies.

How does EMDR therapy affect the brain?

Our brains have a natural way to recover from traumatic memories and events. This process involves communication between the amygdala (the alarm signal for stressful events), the hippocampus (which assists with learning, including memories about safety and danger), and the prefrontal cortex (which analyzes and controls behavior and emotion). While many times traumatic experiences can be managed and resolved spontaneously, they may not be processed without help.

Stress responses are part of our natural fight, flight, or freeze instincts. When distress from a disturbing event remains, the upsetting images, thoughts, and emotions may create feelings of overwhelm, of being back in that moment, or of being “frozen in time.” EMDR therapy helps the brain process these memories, and allows normal healing to resume. The experience is still remembered, but the fight, flight, or freeze response from the original event is resolved.

www.EMDRIA.org

Is A Good Man Really So Hard To Find?

As we find ourselves hopefully nearing the end of what many would call one of the most trying times in our modern era, I reflect on what this past year has shown us. We have seen many changes both good and bad, with some uniting, while others divide. One of the largest changes I have seen not specific to the past year, is the ever increasing divide between “Men” and “Great Men”. 

David Popenoe (2017) in his Book entitled Families Without Fathers, states:

“The disintegration of the child-centered, two parent family—especially in the inner cities, where as many as two in three children are growing up without their fathers—and the weakening commitment of fathers to their children that more and more follows divorce, are central causes of many of our worst individual and social problems. Juvenile delinquency, drug and alcohol abuse, teenage pregnancy, welfare dependency, and child poverty can be directly traced to fathers' lack of involvement in their children's lives”.

As a therapist; as a Husband; as a Man, it saddens me to hear about stories of spouses and children that have spent years with unmet emotional needs, entire marriages of patriarchal suppression, and women who become extremely depressed at the thought of having to spend another 20 years in a loveless, vacant marriage. 

To begin I wish to dispel some myths that are commonly believed:

Myths: Men are tough, and strong

Truth: Strength comes in many forms and toughness is not always physical.

Myths: Men are not suppose to cry

Truth: Men have emotions, as all humans do and it is important to honor them.

Myths: Crying means you are weak

Truth: Crying is part of being human and in fact takes more strength to show vulnerability 

Myths: Men are not natural care givers.

Truth: Many men are naturally caring and enjoy being around their children 

Myths: Men are the bread winners and provide for the family.

Truth: Men share in the responsibility of the home. Financially is one area of responsibility. 

Myths: “ I make the Money, I make the rules”.

WRONG… Financially providing is not a blanket statement of power and control.

Myths:  The “Patriarch” is in charge of the family

WRONG… The decisions of the home should be equally agreed upon and everyone should have a voice about the future of the family. A partnership is equal.

 Myths: Men are to be respected. 

Truth: Respect is earned to not given. Be the kind of man that is respectable by the actions and the way you treat others. 

Myths: All men disappoint, it’s just a matter of when.

Truth: How a man treat his partner and his family is a direct reflection of who he is. Humans make mistakes, however this should be the exception to the rule not the expectation. 

Through history there are many examples of leaders. Some of the leaders we know accomplished great feats, victories, and accolades. Along with this, history also tells us what kind of leaders they were. History records two types of leaders that we tend to remember. Some of the leaders, chose to lead by fear, respect and control. While others lead with Love, compassion and integrity. 

In an effort to help this generation be better than the one before, I offer a way to help Men become better. Perhaps you have someone in your life that you want to encourage, perhaps you are a Man wanting to be better. Below are steps you can follow to help the “Men” become Great Men”. 

1. Learn to Connect Emotionally. 

Emotions are a natural part of life, and being able to be vulnerable and intimate is not a weakness. Learning to connect emotionally will help to increase the relationships in your life, build deeper emotional bonds and bring more happiness into your life and the life of others. 

2. Be a Man Worth Respecting 

Being the financial provider of a family is one area of stability and support. Aside from financially there are, emotionally, mentally, spiritually, socially, and sexually. Learn to provide support and care in ALL areas not just the one.  “Great Men” show love, compassion and invite respect by the way they treat others and their family. Your family should know the best of you, not the worse. Being the “Patriarch” is not permission to be a dictator. Being a (priesthood holder) in no way gives permission that you are more than or better than your spouse. Admit when you are wrong and be willing to grow and be better. 

3. Learn to Listen

Sometimes the best thing you can do is listen. Not every problem has to be fixed, nor is it your responsibility to fix it. Learn to see the needs to those in your life. Learn how to see the needs of your wife, comfort your child who had a bad day at school. 

4. Choose to be Part of Life

Being present in the lives of your family is a choice. Choose to pay attention to subtle clues, hints and gestures from your wife and children about what they need and how to provide that. Listen to their stories, validate their emotions, and encourage their growth and self-esteem. Always being at work, or on the phone, out with “a buddy” causes you to miss the joy that comes from small moments of life that make it worth while. 

5. Choose to be MORE

It has sadly become common for men to let their wives down, and not be present. Putting your family first and your wife first is a choice. Choose to be more than what you know. It is easy to play the role, use excuses of “ that just how men are” and feed in to the idea of being a disappointment. Be the husband who helps around the house, who helps the kids get ready. Break the myths and stereotypes of what a man is and how he is to act. 

6. Know the Hierarchy 

The Hierarchy speaks to knowing the order of respect given to the women in your life. If you follow the order, you will never go wrong. 

Young Adult/Teen First: Mother

Second: Sister(s)

Third: Girlfriend

Married/Husband First: Wife

Second: Mother

Third:Sister(s)

Married/Husband/Father

First: Wife

Second: Daughter(s)

Third: Mother

Fourth: Sister(s)

I firmly believe that if the “ Men” of the world decided to be “ Great Men” the world would be a much better place. While there is room for much growth and improvement, it is also important to acknowledge that there are “Great Men” in the world. There is much truth to the phrase “ You will find what you are looking for in this world”.  While there is a lot need for change, it is equally important to recognize those that are working to be better, those in the world that emulate all the things above and that there are good people in this world. 

Citations: 

Popenoe, D. (2009). Families without Fathers: Fatherhood, Marriage and Children in American Society (1st ed.). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780203792292

Living a value driven life is easier than you think.

I have recently had many conversations with individuals who have experienced change in their life that resulted in change to the roles they were used to playing. Perhaps all the children have moved out of the house and the role of parent has shifted. Perhaps job loss or school closure have lead to new roles of income provider, or school teacher. 

As we find ourselves going through life, we play many roles and wear many hats between personal, family, social, and professional lives, we use these areas of our lives to define who we are, what we like, and how we evaluate our self worth. While roles we play can offer a sense of security, and direction, they are often misunderstood as who we are and what makes us unique. 

It is important to distinguish that the roles we play DO NOT make us who we are. We are separate beings outside of these roles. The role of Mother or Father are often ones that tend to consume our identity and while we may take great pride in honoring that role, it is important to note that we have needs and wants outside of these roles. When we let the roles we play become our identity, we lose the internal means of guiding our lives. 

Using the example of a solar system; The Sun is the center of our solar system and the planets rotate around with the Sun and the gravitational pull as the guide for how the whole system functions. If we were to pluck the Sun out of the center of the system, the whole system would fall apart and siesta to exist. When we use the roles we play such as (mother, father, our occupation, or other) we are making that the center of our system. However, what happens when that role changes, or goes away? Everything we have used to define ourselves no longer functions and we find our system fallen apart. Emotionally and mentally this feels as though our entire world has changed, and it feels that way because of how much power we gave to that role to define us.

Rather, if we understand that we are separate from the roles we play, then we create a system that supports change, and makes it easier to go through hard things or rather big changes in our lives with more acceptance, patience, and hope for the future. Rather than using roles for the center of our identity, we use values and core beliefs that create a foundation in every other area of our lives that can never crumble nor become life shattering. 

How do I find hope in suffering?

Whether it is hardships from the Pandemic, civil unrest, political discourse, loss of a loved one, fear of the future, or many other aspects of life, it sometimes may feel there is no end in sight to the pain that life can sometimes bring. Finding continued hope through the burdens of daily life can often feel daunting, uncertain, and just out of reach. Through the recent year, many people may have found themselves uttering these simple words either to another or to them selves:

Ex: “ I would like to… but I don’t want to get my hopes up”…

 While the simple rhetoric is often over looked, the profound impact on our lives is not to be underestimated.

Hope: “ (A belief that things can be better than what they are”) is one of the most powerful aspects of human life. The instillment of hope can offer peace in a moment of chaos; comfort in a moment of fear; and courage in a moment of despair. The loss of hope, or (hopelessness) often results in a person loss of will to live. 

Maybe this past year you have found yourself not planning, not hoping out of fear of disappointment. Maybe you have felt lost, overwhelmed, or out of control. Maybe you have lost a family member or loved one and need to find a way to some how keep moving forward.  The joy of hope is that it is accessible to all who seek it, and is found all around us. May I offer 3 principles of Resiliency  to help you increase your hope, and in turn increase your ability to manage hard times in your life. 

1. Commitment 

We commit to the challenge ahead of us. We commit to the strength, the endurance, and the help needed to survive. Asking for help is not weakness. Everybody in life needs help. Most of all we commit to not let our burden consume us, destroy us, or allow us to lose our selves in the process. We tell ourselves, “ no matter what happens, I will be ok”. 

1. Control

A main source for unmanageability and discourse is caused by trying to control things that are out of our ability to control. Learning to let go of what is out of your ability to control, and having the courage to do something about what you can control can drastically reduce the out of control feeling life can bring. 

1. Challenge 

Much of the research about resiliency and hardiness speaks to how we choose to look at a situation. Some are financial, others physical, some trauma, others mental health related. Challenge, adversity, and pain are essential to provide opportunities for growth. Seeing our problems through a lens of opportunity rather than suffering can help provided a new perspective of hope that will allow us to face our trials with gratitude. 

Symbols of hope can often provide something that reminds us to have hope in a moment we need it. Find something that inspires you, makes you feel happy, or gives you courage to keep moving forward. Symbols of Hope include:

• A favorite quote, 

• A poem, 

• A song, 

• A picture, 

• An experience. 

• A person you look up to

• A deity, religion, or spirituality practice

Surround yourself with little things that bring hope into your life. As we move into a new year I am reminded of a statement from Viktor Frankel:

“ We must never forget that we may also find meaning in life even when confronted with a hopeless situation, when facing a fate that cannot be changed. For what matters is to bear witness to the uniquely human potential at its best, which is to transform a personal tragedy into a triumph, to turn one’s predicament into a human achievement.” 

Frankl, V. E. (2006). The meaning of life. In Man's search for meaning: An introduction to logotherapy (p. 108). Boston, MA: Beacon Press.