What is EMDR?

" .. Bessel van der Kolk, a leading Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) expert defines trauma as an “experience unable to be processed and integrated."..
type of treatment that is especially useful for processing trauma experiences. Only those who are extensively trained should be treating clients with this tool .. has been approved by the APA (American Psychiatric Association) and has been researched for its efficacy in over 20 clinical studies. ..

EMDR stands for Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing. It works by using bi-lateral tones listened to on headphones, tapping, and/or eye movement while thinking about the trauma .. seems to have a direct effect on the way that the brain processes information. Following a successful EMDR session, a person no longer re-lives the images, sounds, and feelings when the event is brought to mind; he still remembers what happened, but it is less upsetting. EMDR appears to be similar to what occurs naturally during dreaming or REM (rapid eye movement) sleep .. "

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Columbia Univ Survey for Women Survivors of CSA

You are invited to participate in an online survey that investigates the benefits and costs of talking to a therapist about the sexual abuse you experienced in childhood. This information will be used to help clinicians be more effective in treating survivors of sexual abuse, as it will allow them to better understand the experience of survivors.This research is being conducted at Teachers College, Columbia University. All responses will be anonymous. The survey takes about 15-20 minutes to complete. Upon completion, you will be entered into a raffle for a chance to win $100.

Eligibility Criteria:

• Must be 18 years of age or older

• Must be female

• Must have experienced at least one incident of sexual abuse in childhood

• Must currently be in therapy or have been in therapy at some point in the past

If you meet the above criteria, please complete this survey by logging onto: www.psychdata. com, enter "129928" in the "Go to survey #" box, and enter the password "Disclosure. "If you have any questions, please contact Sarah Feldman at Columbia.tcsurvey@ gmail.com. *This project, #09-202, has been approved by the Teachers College, Columbia University Institutional Review Board*

Healing Codependence

" .. If you are codependent, you likely grew up with or had prolonged exposure to a set of oppressive rules that prevented the open expression of feelings, and which taught you to avoid conflict. You very likely are a caretaker, you’re controlling and you have a diminished capacity to initiate or participate in loving relationships. So what can you do about it? Here are a list of steps you can take to reduce codependency .. "

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Australian Ad Campaign: Adult Survivors of Child Abuse

“ .. If only it was this easy to get over child abuse .. “

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A Letter To My Non-Survivor Friends: Things I Want to Tell You but Don’t Know How

" .. My friends are all wonderful people with a strong sense of justice. They could easily be any of the posters here. None of them, however, are abuse survivors and perhaps that’s where the problem lies.But most of my friendships have experienced strains once I started talking of my past. So here are some things I want to say: .. "

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