What is it?
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) treatment is a mental health technique used to decrease emotional responses to trauma. Moving your eyes side to side at various speeds, tapping your hands, or holding buzzers that vibrate activate areas of the brain that recall and process distressing memories. Your provider may even use sounds that alternate from different sides of the body or have various tones. Research shows EMDR is more effective than other leading evidence-based methods like cognitive behavioral therapy. EMDR is an 8-phase approach that quickly helps to heal trauma.
History of EMDR
The first clinical research trials took place in 1989. At the time, EMDR was used to help Vietnam veterans reduce symptoms of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) after returning from war. Francine Shapiro, PhD, developed the Adaptive Information Processing (AIP) theory about how the brain stores memories. The brain connects information within networks of neurons and similar memories are linked together.
How does it work?
Normal memories settle into the network and no distress is exhibited. Traumatic memories are experienced differently. Trauma overwhelms the nervous system and psychological faculties. This can cause dissociation, when the brain disconnects from the information it is processing. Traumatic memories do not settle appropriately and a person will become triggered when they associate a detail of the memory with their present life situation.
Trauma is a mental wound the brain has not healed yet, because it is alert to potential or real danger. Reprocessing helps the brain to heal from trauma. By using eye movements and guided instructions, the memory begins to link with adaptive feelings and thoughts. This helps resolve the distress associated with the trauma and encourages healthy processing of new information. It no longer feels like reliving the negative experience.
EMDR process
Client history and gathering information. This process is when your provider will ask questions to assess the presenting issue and history. They will ask about disturbing memories or events that trigger trauma and your goals for therapy.
Preparation and resourcing. This phase will focus on readiness to begin EMDR and understanding what the EMDR process will look like. The provider will help you learn tools to manage emotions, feel stable, and feel safe during sessions.
Assessment. This phase focuses on themes and how you will benefit from more adaptive thoughts about the issue. You will identify positive thoughts about yourself and how you want to feel when confronting similar situations.
Desensitization and reprocessing. Your provider will guide you through accessing negative memories and experiencing the emotions associated with those memories. You will identify feelings, thoughts, images, and bodily sensations. You will learn new ways to think about the memories that feel less stressful. The provider will guide you to insights that empower you.
Installation. The provider will have you focus on a positive belief that you want to have about yourself when thinking about the target memory. The belief could be one you decided was more adaptive or a thought that you had while processing the memory using new information during phase 4.
Body scan. You will be guided to focus on how you feel in your body and to notice any sensations. The symptoms you notice when recalling the target memory will begin to decrease. Eventually, symptoms will no longer occur when experiencing the memory. This means reprocessing is complete.
Closure. You will review how to manage emotions and stabilize yourself when feeling overwhelmed. The provider will review ways to maintain progress and ensure you feel calm and safe between sessions.
Reevaluation. This final phase assesses progress made and recommendations for continued care as needed. You will identify future situations when you might feel triggered to have negative feelings about the trauma. The provider will help you utilize positive adaptive information to respond how you would like to those future situations.
Suggestions
When deciding to begin EMDR, choose a time to attend therapy that allows you to be emotionally present during session. For example, if you have to return to work right away and are struggling to cope with the traumatic memory you were processing, it might be difficult to focus or be productive at work. Instead, you may want to attend therapy during the end of the week so you have the weekend to rest and recover.
Choose a provider that you feel comfortable and trust to guide you through processing painful experiences. Healing from trauma is emotionally intense and requires a safe environment to support recovery. Vulnerable information will be discussed. The more open you can be with your provider about what you are experiencing, the more effective your treatment will be.
Have hope that healing is possible. It is okay to feel skeptical about starting EMDR and whether it works. The important point is that you feel relief and experience more peace when treatment is complete. Keep in mind, this treatment does not require you to verbalize what happened during trauma. The brain will do much of the work required to establish healthier thoughts and feelings. Your responsibility is to ask for help from a professional and attend appointments consistently to see results.
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