Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing
What is EMDR Therapy?
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Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) therapy is an integrative psychotherapy approach that has been extensively researched and proven effective for the treatment of trauma. EMDR is a set of standardized protocols that incorporates elements from many different treatment approaches. EMDR enables people to heal from the symptoms and emotional distress that are the result of disturbing life experiences.
Repeated studies show that by using EMDR therapy people can experience the benefits of psychotherapy that once took years to make a difference. It is widely assumed that severe emotional pain requires a long time to heal. EMDR therapy shows that the mind can, in fact, heal from psychological trauma much as the body recovers from physical trauma.
When you cut your hand, your body works to close the wound. If a foreign object or repeated injury irritates the wound, it festers and causes pain. Once the block is removed, healing resumes. EMDR therapy demonstrates that a similar sequence of events occurs with mental processes. The brain’s information processing system naturally moves toward mental health. If the system is blocked or imbalanced by the impact of a disturbing event, the emotional wound festers and can cause intense suffering. Once the block is removed, healing resumes. Using the detailed protocols and procedures learned in EMDR therapy training sessions, clinicians help clients activate their natural healing processes.
What kind of problems can EMDR treat?
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Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
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Panic attacks
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Complicated grief
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Dissociative disorders
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Disturbing memories
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Phobias
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Pain disorders
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Performance anxiety
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Stress reduction
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Addictions
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Sexual and/or physical abuse
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Body dysmorphic disorders
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Relationship issues
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Intimate partner violence
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First responders and work-related trauma
What is the actual EMDR session like?
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Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) is an integrative psychotherapy approach that has been extensively researched and proven effective for treating trauma. EMDR uses standardized protocols incorporating elements from various treatment approaches and follows eight phases to process traumatic and stuck material. To date, EMDR therapy has helped millions of people of all ages relieve many types of psychological stress. Below is a brief description of what to expect in an EMDR therapy session.
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The duration of the complete treatment depends on the client's history. EMDR therapy involves a three-pronged protocol targeting past memories, present disturbances, and future actions. This comprehensive approach is essential to alleviate symptoms and address the full clinical picture. The ultimate goal of EMDR therapy is to fully process the experiences causing problems and incorporate new, healthy ones needed for complete well-being.
"Processing" in EMDR therapy does not mean merely talking about your experiences. Instead, it involves setting up a learning state that allows problematic experiences to be "digested" and appropriately stored in your brain. This means that useful aspects of an experience will be retained and stored with appropriate emotions, guiding you positively in the future. Inappropriate emotions, beliefs, and body sensations will be discarded. Typically, negative emotions, feelings, and behaviors stem from unresolved earlier experiences pushing you in the wrong direction.
The goal of EMDR therapy is to leave you with the emotions, understanding, and perspectives that will lead to healthy and useful behaviors and interactions.
