The celebrities are increasingly experiencing this type of mental - health therapy!

You may have heard of therapy EMDR, by Prince Harry, Sandra Bullock, Brie Larson and other celebrities.

Last year, Prince Harry and Oprah Winfrey created the “The With You Can't See”, an Apple TV documentary on mental health. In an episode, the prince discusses the trauma of his mother's tragic death, saying he often feels the helpless “”.

To address these issues and anxiety, Harry addressed the EMDR and even filmed a private session with his therapist. At the hearing, he discusses feelings and experiences, crosses arms on the chest, and hits each shoulder at a steady pace. At the same time, her eyes are closed, but they move left-right.

These movements are called bilatheral simulation (BLS) and are the main pillar of therapy EMDR. Along with following the moving finger of a therapist or hearing repeated tones, the BLS aims to include one's eyes, ears, or body as they respond to incentives.

This therapy could change the lives of millions of people diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder, helping reduce symptoms such as anger, fear, dark thoughts, anxiety, etc.

 What's EMDR therapy?

EMDR is a type of therapy developed 35 years ago by California psychologist Francine Shapiro to address post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Shapiro started this practice while she was talking about her childhood trauma. When she started talking, her eyes began to move, and she kept on doing so knowingly.

Practicers believe that the memory of a traumatic event during BLS involvement changes the way the patient works and keeps his memory. Some feel that it is connected to the REM (swift movement), the deep state of sleep when we process our memories and experiences.

Marianne Silva, a clinical social worker at the Center for PTSD which offers therapy EMDR, says the treatment is based on the fact that when we process new information and experiences, we link what is happening in the present to what happened in the past.

When, under normal circumstances, we have a new experience, we understand it, we process it. She kind of says: But when something traumatic happens, it dominates our natural information processing system. This event is somewhat confused with feelings, thoughts, images. ”
So when something happens in the present that reminds us of that past trauma, it causes those negative or disturbing feelings or thoughts that were never fully processed, she says.

According to the American Psychological Association (APA), the standard treatment course includes two sessions per week for three to six weeks and a session lasts 60-90 minutes.

How effective is EMDR therapy?

Although it exists for decades, the exact way that the EMDR has a physical impact on the brain remains a mystery which therapists will readily accept.

There are currently studies that prove yes, the EMDR works. Therapists often say “we know it's effective, but we don't fully know why. ”