Why professional women are using EMDR to boost confidence
EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing) and is a powerful tool that can help high-achieving women break past performance blocks so they can unlock their potential and boost confidence in their professional and personal life. It helps women overcome decision paralysis, imposter syndrome, people-pleasing, fear of failure, stress and overwhelm so that resilience and confidence is increased. EMDR helps individuals to overcome whatever is standing in their way so that they can achieve their goals effortlessly.
What is EMDR?
EMDR relies on the brains natural ability to heal itself. When we have experienced upsetting or distressing situations, our brain may not have been able to process these in an adaptive way. Our brain grips onto those memories to try and keep us safe from experiencing that kind of pain again. However, every time something similar happens in the present that slightly resembles that prior pain, our brain responds as though that same event is happening again. This can prevent us from moving forward and doing things that are important to us, because we are being held back by something that has happened in the past.
In an EMDR session, a client will be asked to focus on the specific blocks, including the images, thoughts and feelings that accompany them. Then, we use bilateral stimulation to facilitate the processing of old memories. This can include eye movements, tapping, or alternating sounds which helps the brain to heal and process those memories effectively. This technique is helpful for anyone wanting to process stressful or traumatic memories, present-day blocks, or even anticipatory future events.
While eye movements or other bilateral stimulation can sound strange, the research has demonstrated this is a key component of effective EMDR coaching. It makes clients use their working memory, while distracting them from the memories, meaning the stressful or traumatic experiences doesn’t need to be spoken about in detail in order to benefit from this technique. This makes it a great choice for people who are wanting fast results.
How EMDR can help us get unstuck?
A lot of women will say they’ve done a ton of mindset work, leadership coaching and professional development. Yet, they also say that despite all of this self-awareness, they still feel this disconnect deep inside.
One thing that often gets missed is the fact that our past has a great impact on our future. These can create blocks that get stuck in our body and gets in the way of us achieving the success and confidence we want to feel in our life. Embarrassing moments, childhood trauma, fear of failure or not being good enough, or getting harsh feedback can impact how we view ourselves. When those past experiences haven’t been resolved, they will keep being reactivated in the here and now.
This happened to Liz. She had recently been promoted to General Manager and was thrilled to finally be in this position, as she’d been working her way up the ranks for years. However, she kept finding herself getting anxious when she had to deliver presentations. Through EMDR, she discovered that it reminded her of being in the debate team at school where she was mocked whenever she accidentally pronounced a word incorrectly.
Our past influences our present, and mindset work is generally a great way to help us understand our current ways of thinking. However, EMDR dives deeper and helps clients to actually process and resolve those emotional blockages at the root cause so that we stop re-experiencing them in the present. When those blockages aren’t resolved, this often looks like stress, overwhelm, anxiety, worrisome thoughts, rumination, catastrophising, sleep disturbances, and negative self talk. If you’re a high-achieving woman and noticing this in yourself, then it is very likely that EMDR can help.
What kind of mental blocks can people overcome with EMDR?
In our professional life, these are common blockages that get in the way of women’s success:
Performance blocks (eg I’m not good enough, feeling like an imposter, not going for that next promotion)
Fear of failure
Self-doubt
Lack of confidence and self-worth
Self-comparison and competition with others
Interpersonal difficulties and communication blocks
These issues can affect anyone, but they are incredibly common in professional women who must be at the top of their game and need to perform well under pressure.
Past traumatic or stressful situations get in the way of our success because they set us up for recurring negative memories. For example, every time Liz kept went to deliver a presentation, her hands would go clammy, and she’d sweat profusely. It was just like she was back in school and wondering if she’d fail and be laughed at by her peers. Just when her mind needed to be clear and focused, it would instead be hijacked by intrusive thoughts and memories, although she wasn’t consciously aware of them. Through EMDR, Liz was able to process that old memory and let it go, so that she could go on to confidently deliver speeches without fear.
When your body and mind is free from distractions and negativity, it can then be relaxed and balanced leaving women feeling capable, confident and in control. EMDR can help professional women to focus on what matters most to them and allows us to access a state of optimal performance. Not only does EMDR help in a professional space, but it also helps us to feel confident in our personal lives.
Until next week
Eloise