Dear friends,
Whenever possible, Hospice of Santa Barbara utilizes the most effective therapies to help its clients and patients through the difficult and painful experiences that come with grief and loss. One new treatment that a number of Hospice of Santa Barbara counselors use is EMDR, or Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing.
Our brains and nervous systems are intended to handle stress and trauma — to a point. When our system is overwhelmed by a trauma, it goes into overload. The result is that the anxiety of these traumatic events stays “locked” in our nervous system causing post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
PTSD can develop after a major traumatic event, either emotional or physical. This disorder is characterized by flashbacks and nightmares, and is commonly found in returning military personnel and in people who have experienced natural disasters, witnessed serious accidents and injury, or been victims of crimes — any situation in which they have experienced intense fear, a sense of helplessness and horror.
It is estimated that about 10 percent of the U.S. population has or has had symptoms of PTSD. It affects people of all ages who have experienced a trauma. Some people can recover from a traumatic event with brief therapy and the support of loved ones. But for others, it persists — often for years.
EMDR is a powerful psychotherapy technique that has been successful in helping people who suffer from trauma, anxiety, panic, disturbing memories or post traumatic stress disorder.
EMDR therapy uses bilateral stimulation, right/left eye movement or tactile stimulation, which repeatedly activates the opposite sides of the brain, releasing emotional experiences that are “trapped” in the nervous system. This assists the neurophysiological system, the basis of the mind/body connection, to free itself of blockages and reconnect itself.
As troubling images and feelings are processed by the brain via eye-movement patterns of EMDR, clients come to a place of being able to remember the trauma without being flooded by images and sensations.
Hospice of Santa Barbara was one of the first agencies in our community to incorporate EMDR into its grief counseling services. Counselors specially trained and certified in the use of EMDR are using it with their clients with great effectiveness. Clients often report feeling comforted and relieved in a way that “talk therapy” alone is unable to do.
While we still find it essential to employ the art of deep listening and being a witness to our clients’ grief journey, EMDR has become an essential tool in bringing hope and healing to the grief process.
Be well.
— David Selberg is CEO and president of Hospice of Santa Barbara. Hospice of Santa Barbara hosts a free Community Five Wishes Workshop on the third Thursday of each month, and will mail the Five Wishes document at no cost. Click here for more information, or call 805.563.8820. Click here to read previous columns. The opinions expressed are his own.