Trauma
Trauma
Transformation on the level of the self heals the middle part of the brain. Trauma is a wounding that is stored more in the brain stem and necessitates a different type of therapy. The woundings are in the part of the nervous system that is the oldest part of the brain that assesses safety. EMDR and Somatic Experiencing are two types of therapy that focus on healing the nervous system. For EMDR to be effective, there needs to be a part of the person who is capable of having genuine compassion for another or themselves. Sometimes the trauma happened at such a young age or enough over time that the traumatized person does not have positive internal resources.
For Some people, EMDR can work miracles quickly. For others, EMDR without proper resourcing can be destabilizing. For people that have not internalized a sense of self that is capable of compassion, healing on the level of self may be a healthy and necessary pre-requisite before doing EMDR. Or you need to work with an EMDR therapist who is aware of and knows how to do “resourcing” work. EMDR without adequate resourcing on people without resources can be dangerous.