From my professional and very personal experience of having PTSD three times in my life, I completely understand the complexities an individual can face with personal past traumas. I also understand how to help a person overcome past traumas including past memories and experiences and also the emotions associated with the past. For most people, their past traumas to a certain level, will remain unconscious. They will reside out of awareness and not be fully accessible to help keep them from feeling the overwhelm of the past trauma. Flashbacks may come up in the present moment and selective memories may also surface however a persons nervous system and emotional body will be more in-tune to the challenges of the past, as the body keeps the score.
Your past influences your present, but more unconsciously…
Your nervous system in the present moment will often scan and search for any possible threats in certain spaces and places that you are in. This will not be so conscious to you. This background operating system will be feeding into your past experiences and past emotions to search for any present or future threats. This can leave you feeling on edge, in a state of panic and quite often you can end up avoiding doing certain things in your life. The background operating system of your mind, which can be shaped by your past traumas can also negatively impact your social life, relationships including dating, your career, travel aspirations and so much more. It may feel confusing to you as to why your present life is so challenging, it’s because your past is showing up into your present, but on a level of thinking that currently does not make sense to you.
Having experienced the confusion of trauma personally and having worked with individuals who have had sexual abuse, traumatic accidents, severe heartbreak and overwhelming grief, the answer to updating your mind, to free your body from the past is Integral Eye Movement Therapy (IEMT). The many people over the years I have worked with of all ages, all over the world have had talk therapy, counselling, even trauma focussed therapy, but found the most relief with IEMT.
Change in the blink of an eye.
Traumatic experiences, whether from the past or recent events, can have a profound impact on your mental and emotional well-being. Conditions such as Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) often arise from these experiences, causing distressing symptoms that can significantly affect a person’s quality of life. Integral Eye Movement Therapy (IEMT), an innovative therapeutic approach, is transformative for its effectiveness in helping individuals cope with and heal from past trauma, PTSD, and negative memories and emotions. IEMT offers a sense of relief, release and it does it quickly! As a process it is popular with people from all walks of life who want to feel free from the past. It is increasingly popular with men, as you are not required to sit and talk over in great detail the ordeals of the past like traditional talk therapies. IEMT is direct with its approach and helps to release and in many ways detach a person from their past mental and emotional pains.
Understanding Trauma, PTSD, and Negative Memories and Emotions
1. Trauma: Trauma refers to any event or series of events that are distressing, shocking, or harmful, often leaving lasting emotional scars. Traumatic experiences can vary widely, from accidents and natural disasters to physical or emotional abuse, combat exposure, and more. The effects of trauma can be pervasive, leading to symptoms like anxiety, depression, flashbacks, and nightmares.
2. PTSD: PTSD is a specific mental health condition that can develop after exposure to a traumatic event. Individuals with PTSD often re-experience the traumatic event through intrusive thoughts, flashbacks, and nightmares. They may also experience emotional numbness, avoidance of triggers related to the trauma, and increased arousal, including hypervigilance and irritability.
3. Negative Memories and Emotions: Negative memories and emotions can stem from various life experiences, not limited to severe trauma. These memories and emotions can manifest as persistent sadness, anger, guilt, or shame. They may hinder personal growth, strain relationships, and impede overall well-being.
How IEMT Can Help with Trauma, PTSD, and Negative Memories and Emotions
1. Re-processing Traumatic Memories: IEMT helps individuals revisit traumatic memories in a controlled and therapeutic setting. Through bilateral stimulation, the therapist assists the client in processing these memories differently. This can lead to a an immediate reduction in the emotional distress associated with the traumatic event, allowing the individual to rapidly feel relief form the emotions.
2. Decreasing Emotional Reactivity: IEMT aims to reduce the intensity of emotional reactions associated with traumatic memories and negative emotions. By integrating these memories more adaptively, individuals can experience a reduction in the emotional charge, making it easier to cope with and manage these emotions in everyday life.
3. Enhancing Coping Skills: IEMT equips individuals with tools to cope with distressing memories and emotions. As they progress through IEMT sessions, clients often report increased resilience and improved emotion regulation. This newfound capacity to manage emotions contributes to overall mental well-being.
4. Promoting a Sense of Empowerment: Engaging in IEMT can help individuals regain a sense of control over their lives. Trauma, PTSD, and negative memories can leave individuals feeling helpless and vulnerable. IEMT empowers them to actively participate in their healing process, leading to a sense of agency and empowerment..
5. Long-lasting Effects: IEMT is often praised for its potential to produce long-lasting effects. After undergoing IEMT, individuals may find that the benefits persist over time, contributing to sustained mental and emotional well-being.
“I can see it, but I can’t feel it’ – ‘It’s hard to recall’ – ‘I can’t feel the emotion and it’s decreasing more and more’ These are common statements people make after the process. Change can be immediate and the process combined with my many years of experience working with complex trauma has allowed me to cover the whole web of the past that a person may be entangled in. Allowing them to feel free is the first step in then building a new way of living, as they move forward freely, without the weight of their pasts.
I offer sessions all on zoom where I often see people for six sessions or ten. I have often encountered people who made huge transformations in six sessions where they felt more relief compared to years of talk therapy. This is the power of my clinical experience and the magic of IEMT.