News & Resources
What is EMDR?
EMDR stands for Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing. The technique works on the basis of bilateral stimulation of the brain with eye movement, tapping and sound. Bilateral stimulation means that both the right and left sides of the brain are involved. This enables brain to unlock the traumatic memories, to reprocess them and allow them to become less disturbing.
Brain has a natural mechanism for processing disturbing events; however, when a traumatic experience is overwhelming brain may not be able to process it in the usual way. When this happens the brain goes into a loop, it keeps trying to process the material (thoughts, feelings, body sensations), through recurrent nightmares or flashbacks.
Trauma memories are located in the right hemisphere of the brain, with a strong connection to the neurobiological systems (this includes body memory). Bilateral stimulation accesses parts of the brain where verbal processes don’t exist. The shifts from left to right allow for more conscious access to these memories and the networks of associations among them.
Once these associations are brought into conscious awareness they can then be reprocessed into positive beliefs. These beliefs come from the clients rather than the therapist, such that clients can begin to see the traumatic experience(s) and themselves in less disturbing, more functional ways in the present. This resolution effect is part of the human’s inherent drive toward mental health and wellness, just as the body is geared to heal physical wounds.
Couples Counselling
Intimate relationships sometimes require help. Often we can do some of the basic maintenance and relationship repairs ourselves. Other times, couples therapy and the help of a professional might be useful to provide some deeper tune-ups.
Couples counselling is a type of psychotherapy in which a therapist supports two people gain insight into their relationship, resolve conflict and improve relationship satisfaction utilizing a variety of therapeutic interventions.
Research conducted by the American Association of Marriage and Family concluded that over 97% of surveyed couples got the help they needed from couples therapy. In addition, 93% of couples said therapy gave them more effective tools for dealing with conflict.
What is Family Counselling or Family Therapy?
Family therapy or family counseling is a form of treatment that is designed to address specific issues affecting the health and functioning of a family. It can be used to help a family through a difficult period, a major transition, or mental or behavioral health problems in family members (“Family Therapy”, 2014).
Family therapy can employ different techniques, depending on the specific problems. The goal of family therapy is to work together to heal any mental, emotional, or psychological problems tearing your family apart (Lee, 2010).
To guide a family towards a healthy life, family therapists support people in improving communication, solving family problems, understanding and handling family situations, and creating a better functioning home environment (Family Therapy, 2017A).