Every Memory Deserves Respect (EMDR) - Interview with Deborah Korn and Michael Baldwin
Nov 17, 2022
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Deborah Korn, expert in EMDR therapy, and Michael Baldwin, co-author of a book on EMDR therapy, discuss the therapist-client relationship, the impact of trauma, and the power of EMDR therapy. They emphasize the importance of a secure therapeutic relationship and the role of positive experiences and memories in healing. They also share personal experiences with EMDR therapy and highlight the transformative power of accessing buried traumatic memories and emotions.
EMDR therapy allows for a direct access to buried traumatic memories, enabling a more in-depth and transformative healing process.
EMDR therapy can significantly reduce the intensity of recurring nightmares by addressing and processing the underlying traumatic memories.
EMDR therapy provides a holistic approach that integrates the mind and body, fostering profound growth and resilience through the reconnection with deeply stored memories and emotions.
Deep dives
EMDR therapy provides direct access to buried traumatic memories and associated feelings
One of the most important aspects of EMDR therapy, according to Michael's experience, was its ability to directly access buried traumatic memories and the associated feelings. Unlike other forms of therapy, EMDR allowed him to vividly experience the emotions tied to the traumatic events, rather than just intellectualizing them. This direct access to the core trauma allowed for a more in-depth and transformative healing process.
EMDR therapy helps process and diminish the intensity of recurring nightmares
Michael shares that he had recurring nightmares for over 40 years, which never decreased in intensity. However, through EMDR therapy, he discovered that these nightmares were specific to traumatic memories and events. By addressing and processing these traumas in therapy, he experienced a significant reduction in the intensity of the nightmares. EMDR provided a means to understand and work through the underlying causes of his distressing dreams, offering relief and healing from their persistent impact.
EMDR therapy allows for a holistic and intense healing experience
Michael highlights that EMDR therapy goes beyond traditional talk therapy or cognitive-behavioral approaches. It allows for a more holistic healing experience, engaging all aspects of the individual, including thoughts, emotions, and embodied sensations. The EMDR process provides a unique opportunity to integrate mind and body, inviting clients to reconnect with deeply stored memories, emotions, and traumas. Through this holistic approach, EMDR therapy facilitates a transformative healing journey that may elicit intense emotions but ultimately fosters profound growth and resilience.
The importance of attunement and connection in therapy
Attunement and connection are essential in therapy, especially when working with trauma. It allows clients to feel seen, validated, and accompanied in their healing journey. Through attunement, therapists can regulate clients' emotions, help them feel safe, and provide the support needed to process traumatic memories. The therapist's presence and ability to be fully engaged with clients while still allowing their brain to lead the way in processing work is crucial. The therapeutic relationship plays a significant role in re-parenting and providing corrective experiences, fostering growth, autonomy, and a sense of agency in clients.
The power of redoing traumatic experiences in therapy
Trauma processing in therapy is not about reliving past experiences, but rather about redoing them in a safe and supported environment. EMDR therapy offers the opportunity for clients to observe their own story, explore their emotions, and have a choice in how they respond to the traumatic memories. By reprocessing these memories with attuned therapists, clients can incorporate new perspectives, information, and experiences that challenge old beliefs and transform the traumatic narrative. Through this redoing process, clients can access new resources, build resilience, and increase the positives in their lives, ultimately facilitating healing and growth.
Listen in to hear Jen's interview with Deborah Korn and Michael Baldwin as they discuss the relationship between therapist and client in EMDR and talk about their new book entitled "Every Memory Deserves Respect: EMDR, the Proven Trauma Therapy with Power to Heal". You can find this book by searching its title in your favorite search engine. For more information on the book, here's the description presented on the back of the book:
An introduction to EMDR, a proven trauma therapy with the power to heal, cowritten by a world-renowned therapist and a patient who experienced transformative relief through EMDR therapy.
Trauma is a part of life.
You or someone you care about has probably experienced trauma, whether “big-T” trauma, such as emotional, physical, or sexual abuse or the more common but no less significant “little-t” trauma that can result from divorce, job loss, painful childhood experiences, or any situation where you felt worthless, afraid, or powerless. Untreated trauma can lead to long lasting effects such as depression, anxiety, PTSD, and difficulties maintaining intimate relationships.
But the good news is that we can heal—and it doesn’t have to take a lifetime. EMDR (which stands for Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) is a unique type of psychotherapy proven to help people recover from trauma and improve the quality of their lives.
Cowritten by a patient who experienced transformative relief from trauma through EMDR therapy, and a world-renowned psychologist who explains exactly how and why EMDR works, Every Memory Deserves Respect provides clear information while offering inspiration and hope.
Through compelling science, personal stories, and powerful photographic images, we learn how trauma is stored in the brain and body, continuing to cause pain and suffering, and how EMDR frees us by repatterning our thinking and emotional reactions. It explains why talk therapy has only a limited impact on trauma recovery, describes what to expect from gentle and targeted EMDR therapy, and offers guidance on how to find a therapist who is just right for you.
