E.M.D.R

Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) is an evidence-based mind-body approach for treating trauma, PTSD, CPTSD, anxiety, depression, traumatic grief, distressing events, overwhelming emotions, and several other issues. I utilize EMDR as a stand-alone therapy or integrate it with other approaches based on client goals. EMDR therapy can be used to treat children and adults.

EMDR was developed in 1987 by Francine Shapiro who noticed that side-to-side eye movements effectively aided in processing emotions. The principle is similar to what the body accomplishes during REM sleep. Bilateral stimulation (guided eye movements, tapping, or tones which activate both sides of the brain) is instrumental in helping the brain process overwhelming events and/or emotions.

When a person is triggered by a smell, sound, memory, sight, or felt sense, the brain responds to establish safety based on a person’s historical response to threats. This is an automatic reaction of fight, flight, freeze faint, or fawn. This can appear as an outburst of anger, running away to avoid a situation, zoning out, collapsing into shutdown, constant people-pleasing. The brain senses a threat, recalls a similar situation from the past, and signals the individual to resort to what has worked in the past for safety. Because the event is stored in the lower brain the brain that relies on survival over logic, trying to stop the overreaction by talking, thinking, or reasoning does not fully resolve it. That is where EMDR has proven effective. Brain scans show that EMDR allows the brain to re-store the content in the prefrontal cortex rather than the lower brain.

What Does EMDR Treatment Entail?

The EMDR treatment process consists of eight phases. Certain phases may take longer than others or may be repeated as needed in the process.  During phases four through six, the therapist uses bilateral stimulation (BLS) as the client processes the content. There are multiple choices to perform BLS: side-to-side eye movements, tapping, or body movements, hand-held tappers that vibrate from side-to-side, or listening to music as it plays from side-to-side.

The 8 Phases of EMDR

1.     History & Treatment Planning-discussing the client’s history and goals for therapy

2.     Preparation-education, building trust, learning tools for emotional regulation and containment

3.     Assessment-identify and rate the intensity of the event, beliefs, emotions, sensations

4.     Desensitization-performing BLS while thinking about the event

5.     Installation-strengthening the client’s desired positive belief in relation to the event

6.     Body Scan-recalling the event to assess for any lingering distress to process with BLS

7.     Closure-returning to present moment and regulating whether reprocessing is complete or not

8.     Reevaluation-assessing during the following session for any new processing and desired targets for treatment

Common Issues EMDR is Used to Treat:

·      Anxiety and Panic

·      Phobias

·      Chronic Illness

·      Complex-PTSD/trauma

·      Depression

·      Eating Disorders

·      Grief and loss

·      Performance anxiety

·      PTSD and trauma

·      Sexual assault or abuse

·     Substance abuse and addiction

For more information on EMDR therapy, click here to visit the EMDR International Association website. They include information on the history of EMDR, research, and common symptoms treated by EMDR.

If you experience emotional overwhelm, some form of trauma, or any other issues listed above, EMDR may be a helpful treatment for you in overcoming triggers. If you have questions or wish to explore EMDR as a treatment option, please reach out.