What is EMDR Therapy?

"Before I started EMDR therapy, I was a people pleaser and cared too much what others thought of me. If I felt like I said one thing wrong to someone, I would feel embarrassed for days, sometimes weeks. After doing EMDR therapy, the feeling goes as quickly as it comes and now I can focus on things that are more important."

-Lisa R.

"When life got hard, I would look for anything to escape from it. I would do anything from doom scrolling nonstop on social media to overdrinking at any social event. I used EMDR to address the root cause of my anxiety triggers and found healthier outlets. I started being more active in my relationships and even started volunteering at a local food pantry."

-Jeff K.

In 1987, while reflecting on a walk, Francine Shapiro observed that her side-to-side eye movements alleviated her distressful emotions when remembering a painful memory. She decided to experiment with this and discovered that others experienced the desensitizing effects when doing the same eye movements. However, further research concluded that the eye movements themselves did not have a comprehensive therapeutic effect. To address this issue, Shapiro added cognitive components to complete the EMDR procedure. EMDR is now a widely used and accepted clinical treatment to help desensitize the effects of trauma. Since Shapiro developed it, many therapists have used EMDR to treat various trauma-induced conditions.

What does EMDR stand for?

Eye

Movement

Desensitization and

Reprocessing

It uses Eye Movement to Reprocess and Desensitize trauma.

Is EMDR effective?

According to over 30 randomized and non-randomized clinical trials, EMDR effectively reduces the effects of trauma.

How does EMDR therapy work?

EMDR works by using side-to-side eye movement or bilateral stimulation(BLS) to reprocess a traumatic memory slowly. Each session of EMDR focuses on one traumatic event at a time. There are eight phases of EMDR:

1. History-Taking: The therapist asks questions to learn more about the client's history and major distressing events throughout their childhood and adulthood. Based on the history, a treatment plan is developed. The treatment plan includes the pacing and the key event that will be the session's focus.

2. Preparation: The therapist prepares the client for EMDR by demonstrating the side-to-side movement they follow with their eyes and ensuring that the client has ways of handling the emotional distress that can come from digging up the past. The therapist can teach ways of compartmentalizing the stress, so the client doesn't feel overwhelmed in each session.

3. Assessment: The therapist asks questions to help assess the memory components: image, cognition, and body sensation. Examples of questions include: What image comes up when you think of the event? On a scale of 1-10, how distressing is the event when you remember it? When you recall the event, where do you feel the stress in your body?

4. Desensitization: The client focuses on the memory while engaging in eye movement for 45-90 seconds and reports any new thoughts they processed. The therapist uses that information to pick the focus for the next round of BLS.

5. Installation: The therapist incorporates positive ways the client would like to view herself.

6. Body Scan: The therapist asks the client to observe where the client feels a physical response when thinking of the incident and if there has been any reduction due to the positive cognition.

7. Closure: The therapist winds down a session to help the client compartmentalize unprocessed memories until the next session. It's also where the therapist reinforces self-calming techniques taught earlier or in a previous session.

8. Re-evaluation: The next session begins with phase eight, assessing the progress made since the last session.

What conditions does EMDR therapy treat?

• Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)

• Anxiety

• Depression

• Eating Disorders

• Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD)

• Dissociative Disorder

• Phobias

• Chronic Pain

How many sessions does EMDR take?

EMDR is typically delivered twice weekly for 6-12 weeks, but the number of sessions differs per individual.

What are the benefits of EMDR therapy?

The benefits of EMDR therapy include healing from the psychological wounds of trauma, increased overall happiness, and improved relationships. EMDR is safe, effective, and efficient.

What are the side effects of EMDR?

Side effects include, but aren't limited to, lightheadedness, feelings of vulnerability, vivid dreams, strong emotional fluctuations, physical stress responses, and increased recall of traumatic memories. These side effects will likely go away after a few weeks of EMDR.

Conclusion

EMDR is still a relatively new method of psychotherapy, but it has been observably effective through clinical trials and therapeutic practice, including my own. The greatest benefits of effective EMDR therapy are healing from psychological wounds and living your daily life unplagued by your past trauma. EMDR, when practiced enough in therapy, is something clients can practice outside of therapy. The benefit of having a trusted clinician help with the process is having a guide help you navigate your thoughts and feel secure when experiencing strong emotions.

To learn more about EMDR therapy, please check out EMDR International Association. If you want to try an EMDR session with me, please reach out to me.