Big T and Little T: How EMDR Therapy Can Heal All Traumas
Dec 15, 2022
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In this engaging discussion, Dr. Deborah Korn, an EMDR therapist and trauma expert with 30 years of experience, teams up with Michael Baldwin, an EMDR client who transformed his life after years of struggling with trauma. They explore the power of EMDR in healing both major and minor traumas, highlighting its unique approach compared to traditional therapies. With Michael sharing his personal journey and Dr. Korn explaining EMDR’s effectiveness, listeners gain insight into how addressing trauma can lead to profound personal transformation.
EMDR therapy effectively addresses both Big T and little T traumas by engaging the body's innate healing capacities for lasting recovery.
Michael Baldwin's transformative personal account illustrates how EMDR therapy not only alleviated his childhood trauma but also positively impacted his relationships.
Deep dives
The Journey of EMDR Therapy
EMDR therapy emerged from a need to effectively treat trauma, especially after traditional methods proved insufficient for many clients. Dr. Deborah Korn's journey into EMDR began when she realized that conventional treatments lacked the ability to address the depth of trauma patients experienced. She shared her transformative training with EMDR’s developer, Francine Shapiro, and detailed how EMDR enabled substantial relief for her patients suffering from PTSD, anxiety, and depression. This therapy focuses on stimulating the body's innate healing capacities, providing a more efficient route to recovery than traditional talk therapies.
Understanding Trauma: Big T and Little t
Trauma is broadly defined as any overwhelming experience that triggers strong negative emotions and a sense of powerlessness, impacting individuals differently based on personal perception. Big T traumas include events like sexual assault or combat, while little t traumas refer to experiences such as divorce or job loss. Both can have severe, long-lasting effects on mental health, and the cumulative nature of trauma means even minor events can be felt intensely by some individuals. This understanding encourages individuals to recognize that their experiences are valid and warrant attention, no matter their severity.
The Unique Benefits of EMDR Therapy
EMDR differentiates itself from traditional talk therapies by focusing directly on processing traumatic memories rather than on verbal exploration of experiences. Treatments utilize bilateral stimulation techniques to assist clients in integrating traumatic memories locked within their nervous systems without requiring them to relive the details. Such an approach allows for a more visceral engagement with past traumas, often leading to a comprehensive understanding of their impact on current life patterns. This effective method can bring about rapid change in emotional and physical responses, helping clients move forward with their lives.
Personal Transformations Through Therapy
Michael Baldwin shared how his life has profoundly shifted after engaging with EMDR therapy, crediting it with alleviating decades of pain from unresolved childhood trauma. After struggling for years without realizing the root cause of his anxiety and depression, Baldwin found clarity and healing by engaging with EMDR, which allowed him to process long-held traumas. His journey also led to a surprising reconnection with his brother, who was previously a source of pain, emphasizing how recovery can ripple outward and mend other relationships. The positive changes highlight the potential for EMDR to not only transform an individual's internal landscape but also enrich their interpersonal connections.
This episode is a little different than usual because it includes talking with an EMDR therapist and an EMDR therapy client. Meet the authors of "Every Memory Deserves Respect: EMDR, The Proven Trauma Therapy with the Power to Heal," Dr. Deborah KornandMichael Baldwin. Listen to Michael's first-hand account of how, after decades of other therapies, he finally found a healing solution to his childhood trauma. Hear Dr. Korn explain why EMDR therapy works for Big T and little T traumas.
Please note: Dr. Korn was and is not Mr. Baldwin's EMDR therapist. They are co-authors.