Trauma is anything that happens to us that overwhelms us so much it changes our world view, how we see ourselves, and how we see others. In 1987, Viet Nam vets, still reliving their war experience even though the war was long over, were used in an experiment using EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing). After several sessions with EMDR, many of these vets found they could finally put the war to rest, develop trusting relationships again, and return to the world in a functioning way.

EMDR uses bilateral stimulation* to help facilitate a conversation between the left hemisphere of the brain (logic) and the right (memory and emotion) in order to resolve what feels stuck or disturbing. Many have described this experience like being a spectator to the trauma rather than an overwhelmed participant.