The Roles Neuroplasticity and EMDR Play in Healing from Childhood Trauma

Studies on neuroplasticity have become increasingly popular in the last several years. It was once thought that our brain was fixed and unchanging once we enter adulthood. Research throughout the last few decades has determined that in fact, our brain has the ability to change and create new neural pathways as well as produce new neurons, a process labeled as neurogenesis (Doidge, 2015). This finding is significant because if the brain has this ability to change, we have the ability to change our way of thinking and possibly improve mood. Neural pathways in the brain are strengthened with repetition. One way to describe this process is “the neurons that fire together, wire together.” Constant repetition of an experience leads to changes within the brain’s structure and how the neurons process that experience. The more consistent this experience is, the stronger these neurons bond. From a relational perspective, if a child is treated with consistent love, nurturing, and caring by his or her parents, the brain’s default is to find positive healthy relationships that repeat this pattern of receiving love and nurturance. If a child is treated with ongoing neglect or abuse, the brain’s default response would be to find relationships that fit this similar pattern of neglect or abuse. Because these neural pathways have been solidified through years of abuse, it can be difficult to change. These children grow into adults who enter unhealthy relationships, potentially ...
Source: Psych Central - Category: Psychiatry Authors: Tags: Abuse Disorders General Memory and Perception Psychotherapy PTSD Stress Treatment Brain Childhood Trauma EMDR Eye Movement Desensitization And Reprocessing Fight or Flight Frontal lobe Limbic System Nervous System Neural Pa Source Type: news