EMDR

What is it?

You may have heard about Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) and are wondering what it really is about and how it will help you. EMDR is an interesting and complex approach to psychotherapy that incorporates much of the wisdom of other therapies. Although most people come to associate it with eye movement, it is an accelerated form of information processing that includes an eight phase approach. It is used within a comprehensive treatment plan to promote your recovery from many difficulties, including trauma and abuse, addictions, anxiety, depression, pain management, and numerous other problems.

Why EMDR?

We know that when something traumatic happens to you, your mind may continue to hold onto it in a way that includes the original picture, sounds, feelings, sensations and thoughts, or any combination of the above. It seems like the trauma is locked inside and it can be triggered by many different things or people that you encounter throughout the day and/or night. These old experiences can still cause a great deal of discomfort. At times, you may feel helpless because you are not able to control what is happening in your mind or your body. That is because you are experiencing the affects and sensations that are connected with this old experience.

EMDR was discovered by Dr. Francine Shapiro when she observed an interesting phenomenon one day when she had a disturbing feeling. She noticed that when she moved her eyes back and forth in a sustained way, her negative thoughts and feelings diminished. She continued to experiment with this discovery, trying the eye movements with therapy clients and found they, too, reported a similar experience of having troubling thoughts disappear. Dr. Shapiro also discovered that it is not just eye movement, but the bilateral stimulation or the activation of the right and left hemispheres of the brain that seems to make a difference in the processing of psychological difficulties. This means that we may use eye movement, hand taps/stimulation, auditory tones and/or a combination of them to help you during this change process; we will try them out and you can decide what works for you the best.

There are numerous controlled studies supporting the idea that EMDR works well in the treatment of trauma. Some people who have had to cope with rape, combat, loss of a loved one, accidents or natural disasters, neglect, abuse (psychological, physical, and sexual) have become free of the symptoms of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder after only a few treatment sessions. For people suffering from Complex Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (the diagnosis for people who have been severely traumatized over a long period of time), EMDR will take longer and often will include an extended preparation phase. This is a normal response to a very complicated problem. What is important is to take the time you need for your own recovery or healing.