Talk therapy is a form of psychotherapy that can be highly effective in treating mental health conditions. However, it is not as effective for those who have experienced trauma or other forms of extreme stress. This is because talk therapy relies on cognition, a storytelling of the trauma, which is primarily a form of communication from the left brain.  

Brain imaging has shown us that trauma is encoded in the right brain.

How do we tell a therapist about a trauma that is encoded in a way that seems to evade language, to defy how we traditionally understand memory?

It is believed that memories related to traumatic experiences are stored separately from other memories in the right hemisphere of the brain. This right hemisphere, or right brain, stores information differently than the left brain. 

Unlike the left side, which relies on language and linear thinking, the right brain processes information more holistically without words or a timeline. 

Memories encoded in this right-brain region can be expressed through sensations and emotions instead of verbal descriptions. As such, these trauma-related memories may remain inaccessible to conscious thought even though they still exist in our minds.  

This inability to access trauma memories may explain why some individuals struggle to remember their traumatic experiences.  If we can remember, the right brain often stores these emotionally charged experiences in fragmented pieces.

EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) is a technique used to help survivors of traumatic events recall their memories in order to process and heal from them. 

The EMDR technique helps break up the right brain's memory fragments by stimulating both sides of the cerebral cortex through eye movements or bilateral stimulation, which allows for more effective processing of traumatic experiences. 

EMDR can offer a level of safety, comfort, and healing for those who need it most and should be considered for anyone who is trying to work through the aftermath of a traumatic event.  The therapy only requires a client to remember the event, and put a few word descriptors to the experience, and privately visualize the experience while receiving bilateral stimulation from the therapy.  With EMDR therapy, individuals are better able to process traumatic memories in a healthier way than talk therapy, and ultimately heal from horrible experiences without even having to retell our most painful stories.  It is an invaluable tool for those seeking relief from trauma-related symptoms.  

To experience EMDR Therapy and take one step closer to relief from your trauma, contact Kairos Wellness Collective today!