Emotional healing with EMDR therapy

By Rhonda Peppers, LPC

As a mental health professional for the past 28 years, I have had the opportunity to see many changes in the field. One that I find most revolutionary is the development of EMDR which stands for Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing.

EMDR is not really a new approach. It was developed by Dr. Francine Shapiro in the late 1980s. Since then, it has become an evidence-based practice and has even been adopted by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs for the treatment of PTSD. It is becoming more common practice as the documented benefits are rising and it is being successfully used for many mental health issues in addition to PTSD.

The therapy approach has gotten recent exposure as celebrities such as Prince Harry, Sandra Bullock, and others have spoken publicly about their positive experiences with EMDR. It has even been referenced on popular TV shows such as “Grey’s Anatomy.”

If this article is the first time you have been introduced to EMDR, don’t feel alone. Until recently, there have been very few trained providers in Polk County area, or Arkansas for that matter. I’m hoping to bring awareness to our community about its benefits and how you might access services for yourself or someone you love.

When I entered the mental health profession, the primary treatment for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder was to ask the client to talk about the traumatic event in depth, over and over, until the mem- ory was no longer causing an emotional reaction. Unfortunately for many people, it continued to be “traumatizing” no mat-

The most exciting thing about EMDR is that you don’t have to talk about it. PTSD is not a requirement to utilize this thera- ping. ter how much it was discussed. And that technique has kept many people from seeking treatment because the thought of having to talk about it makes them uncomfortable. And let’s face it, some of us have experienced things that we never want to verbalize, much less share with a therapist we have just met. py. In my experience, most people don’t come into the clinic and say, “I need help with the bad things that happened to me.” Instead, they tell me they are miserable, and they don’t really know why. Common complaints are sadness, anxiety, irritability, chronic feelings of anger, extreme guilt, or feelings of shame. An EMDR therapist works with a client to find the root cause of those symptoms rather than just teaching ways to cope. The underlying issue may not be something that most people would consider to be a traumatic event. To an EMDR therapist, the definition of trauma is “anything that causes you to feel ‘stuck’ in life”.

Eye movements are the gold standard and are similar to watching a game of ping pong. This back-and-forth eye movement imitates the eye movements that occur when we are in REM (rapid eye movement) sleep. This stage of sleep is considered a time when the brain is highly active and organizes information from the day. Have you ever woken up in the middle of the night and remembered where your lost keys were? If so, you were probably solving that problem in REM sleep. We can now use that natural healing process while we are awake.

There are several theories about why EMDR is effective. A popular theory proposes that the brain stores memories differently when faced with a highly stressful event. Part of the memory may get stored alone, isolated from the brain’s natural ability to digest that information. Our brain needs to digest memories similar to the way our stomach digests food. Digestion breaks down food and absorbs the things that are useful, filtering out what isn’t needed.

EMDR uses a process called bilateral stimulation (BLS), which means activating both the right side and the left side of the brain in a rhythmic and alternating manner. This can be accomplished with eye movements, auditory tones, or tap-

The brain digests memories by breaking them down into useful, manageable pieces of information. The memories that don’t get digested remain in their raw form and can cause you to relive negative experiences through body sensations, emotions, visual images, smells, thoughts, or beliefs related to the past event.

For example, if you were in a bicycling accident, and now every time you see a person riding a bicycle your heart begins to race and you relive that accident.

EMDR opens the memory network, allowing the brain to reprocess it and store it correctly. So now when you see a person riding a bicycle, your body doesn’t respond negatively because the brain identifies it as something that happened in the past and understands that there doesn’t need to be a physical or emotional response.

If you are interested in learning more about EMDR and whether it is a right fit for you, please call Inspired Counseling at 479-437-7967 to discuss scheduling an assessment.

Around Town

Ladies Fashion Show and Light Lunch honoring Military Women and Women in American History. All ladies welcome, Saturday, Apr. 29. Begins at 11 a.m. at the First Assembly of God Church, Hwy. 8 West (just past Louise Durham Elementary School). RSVP (479) 394-8001.

The next Van-Cove High School Alumni Meeting is April 20 at the Alumni Building at 156 School Street in Cove, 6:30 p.m. Everyone is welcome!

2800 Craftsy meets every Tuesday at 10 a.m., 2800 Jerry Lee Dr., Mena. Free to all who are interested in crafting. (501) 617-7261. Visit 2800 Craftsy on Facebook groups.

The Polk County Social Seniors will be meeting at noon on May 9 at La Condesa, 7532 Hwy. 71 South, Wickes. New to Polk County? Come and meet with other social seniors and have fun. Any questions? Contract Linda Johnson at (956) 241-2633. Bring a friend or more and enjoy socializing and eating. Need a ride? Meet at Walmart at Mena parking lot by gasoline pumps before 11 for carpooling. Will leave at 11:15 a.m.

Narcotics Anonymous meet at 5 p.m. and 7 p.m. on Monday, noon - 1 p.m. on Wednesday, 7 p.m. on Thursday, 7 p.m. on Friday, and 6 p.m. on Saturday at the old bus barn at the Crossing Church. For information call Erica at (479) 234-5289 or Candice at (501) 356-8300.

The Polk County Housing Authority has Rental Vouchers available. They are also in need of Applicants and Landlords. Contact them at 509 S. Morrow, Mena, (479) 394-1565 or polkarhousing.com

First Presbyterian Church will be presenting a study, “The Evolution of the Bible”, in its Adult Sunday School Class on Sunday mornings beginning at 9:45. The class will be conducted by Earl Harrell. Anyone with an interest in this study is invited to attend. Classes will be at the church in the parlor, 904 Church Ave., Mena.

GriefShare continues to meet every Thursday from 10 a.m.-noon at First Presbyterian Church Mena for anyone in the community who is grieving the loss of a loved one.

The Hatfield Branch Library is open every Tuesday and Friday from noon - 4 p.m. The library is located at 121 Cemetery Rd. (old Agri building) in Hatfield.

The Cove Branch Library is open Monday and Thursday from noon - 5 p.m. The Library is located next to Cove Town Hall at 5568 Hwy. 71 S.

The Mena/Polk County Senior Center will have The Gator and Friends band performing in Mena every Thursday, 10:30 - 11:30 a.m.

The Center has an exercise class on Mondays and Thursdays, 9:30 - 10:30 a.m. Contact Trena Looney with questions, (479) 394-5459.

The Cossatot Senior Center in Wickes has meals and activities for seniors. If you need to make delivery arrangements or changes call (870) 385-2373.

The VFW Service Day is May 6 at the American Legion in Veteran’s Park. Open to the public. Begins at 2 p.m. They will be making care packages to send to guards being deployed and need volunteers.

Also, if you’d like to donate items for the packages, contact Linda Johnson at (956) 241-2633 to see what items are still needed.

The Democratic Party of Polk County Arkansas will meet Monday, May 8 at PaPa’s Mexican Café, 1317 Hwy. 71 South. Meeting begins at 6:30 p.m., so come early if you plan to socialize and eat. We welcome newcomers and all residents of Polk County. Any questions or concerns call Linda G. Johnson at (479) 234-7966.

Hatfield First Baptist Church “Shepherd’s Closet” Open Wednesdays, 10 a.m. - noon. Large selection of good, used clothing & a limited supply of non-perishable food items. Free to anyone in need.

Alcoholics Anonymous meet at The Crossing Church, 3 p.m., Sundays; at 5 p.m., Tuesdays; and at 8 p.m. Saturdays at the old bus barn. For information call (479) 2348366 or (479) 216-3786.

The Food Pantry at the Mena Seventh Day Adventist Church is open every first and third Monday of each month, 4 6 p.m., located at Fair Grounds Road. For more information, call (479) 437-4018.

American Legion meets every 2nd Tuesday at the Legion Hall in Acorn. Potluck at 6 p.m., meeting follows. Come play Bingo, Saturdays and Mondays, starts at 6 p.m., doors open at 4 p.m.

Reynolds Gardner Community Men’s Breakfast every Tuesday, First United Methodist Church, Mena, 8 a.m. (full breakfast for small donation). All men from the community are invited to attend.

Alcoholics Anonymous meet at 7 p.m. Fridays at the First United Methodist Church, Ninth Street and Port Arthur. Discussion/Book Study for information call (479) 243-0297.

Bluegrass Jam Session is open to musicians and fans alike. Bring your instruments for an unplugged session to the Daisy Room (behind Janssen’s Avenue Florist & Gifts) the first and third Thursdays of each month, starting at 6:30 p.m. Free event. Some snacks are provided.

It’s easy to have your event listed in Around Town, which will be read on radio stations KENA and KQOR daily. Simply send your Around Town announcement to news@mypulsenews.com or call (479) 243-9600 and let us know about your event! To have it in the Polk County Pulse newspaper, we need to know by FIVE on FRIDAY. We look forward to continuing to serve the community!