EMDR, short for Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing, is a type of integrated psychotherapy that is highly effective at alleviating anxiety and distress in athletes.
While useful to anyone suffering from traumatic experiences, EMDR is especially helpful in treating competitive performers who are negatively impacted by emotions triggered by present or upcoming events. Sound like something you or someone you know could benefit from? Here’s more.
Restoring Confidence and Focus with Positive Visualization Techniques
Athletes in any sport take risks whenever they play. As competitive performers, they must bring total confidence to the game and have laser-focus to reach the goal. Letting emotions like fear, doubt and insecurity into their minds as they play is a hindrance to the game as well as to their safety. When an athlete experiences a traumatic event, whether it occurs on or off the field, the negative emotions associated with that event can creep into their psyche while they are playing. They can second-guess themselves and hold back.
To alleviate this, EMDR lets the patient to revisit the stressful or traumatic event and reprocess it using positive visualization techniques. This reduces the negative expectations of the situation and allows the patient to better focus on the goal at hand without fear or negativity, able to be fully confident of a positive outcome.
Strengthens Adaptability and Competitive Edge for Athletes
Along with increased confidence and focus, EMDR is effective at restoring a player’s competitive edge and adaptability to present and future athletic events. EMDR addresses the physical, psychological and emotional feelings the patient experiences, leaving them better prepared to process what is happening and about to happen. This reduces anxiety and frees the athlete to make flexible, agile decisions in the present without being weighted down by sudden fears or worrying about the future.
Trauma Victims Who Can Benefit
Those who have experienced traumatic events or stressful situations can benefit greatly from EMDR therapy, especially athletes. Distress from the following experiences can be alleviated with the right treatment:
– Abuse
– Anxiety
– Auto accidents
– Divorce
– Grief
– Life transitions
– Military combat
– Physical trauma
– Rape
– Sexual abuse
If you or a loved one has experienced trauma or need help overcoming emotions that hinder your game, consider scheduling a session. Stephen Rodgers specializes in EMDR trauma therapy in Denver and will help you take back the possibilities to cope with the ups and downs of life that everyone experiences, but a strong few ask for help on. The benefits are tremendous.
