Bilateral Stimulation Therapy Helps Break Trauma Barriers June 28, 2024 In the aftermath of trauma, healing is possible. Those who have experienced life-changing post-traumatic stress disorder from military combat, physical assault, rape, complex childhood trauma or a serious accident often live with deep emotional scars. Many can find relief and hope through a nontraditional, well-researched, evidence-based mental health treatment that uses eye movement desensitization and reprocessing, or EMDR. According to Michael Crowe, a licensed medical family therapist with Samaritan, the eye movement in EMDR is similar to eye movement in REM sleep — the stage of sleep where most dreams and rapid eye movement behind the eyelids occur. Bilateral stimulation, whether through eye movement, sound beats through headphones or cross-armed shoulder taps is meant to activate both sides of the brain. This opens neuropathways that were interrupted or frozen during trauma, allowing the brain to resolve what’s stuck in the subconscious. Crowe has worked with trauma patients for more than 30 years. “I was reluctant at first to use this therapy because it sounded a little woo woo to me. I was amazed then and continue to be. There have been very few people who haven’t responded well to the EMDR. It’s just amazing at trauma resolution,” said Crowe. What Crowe likes most about this therapy is it works on the pathology behind the problem. “This therapy doesn’t distress the person and make them relive the trauma over and over again like traditional trauma therapy,” said Crowe. “I believe that just retraumatizes the person. With EMDR, we bring up the trauma to learn more about it but we don’t want the patient to go into emotional distress about it.” According to Crowe, all the work happens in the patient’s subconscious — where the trauma is stored. Once the brain knows what it’s working on, the therapist can use EMDR to move out of the negative belief that’s been instilled and into a more positive life view. Subconscious messages like “I’m no good, I’ll always be a failure, all I’m good for is to be abused” get ingrained in the subconscious and the patient can turn those around. “What makes this therapy most exciting is that it is very simple, it’s non-intrusive to the patient and it achieves incredible results. It’s like magic,” said Crowe. Michael Crowe, LMFT, can be reached at Samaritan Albany General Hospital Behavioral Health – Pleasant View at 541-812-3323.
