EMDR THERAPY
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) is a psychotherapy that enables people to heal from the symptoms and emotional distress that are the result of disturbing life experiences.
Just as the body recovers from physical injury, EMDR therapy shows that the mind can in fact heal from psychological 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.
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.
Misconceptions about healing
it requires a long time
it requires detailed descriptions of the event
it requires extended exposure
EMDR therapy involves attention to three time periods: the past, present, and future. Focus is given to past disturbing memories and related events. Also, it is given to current situations that cause distress, and to developing the skills and attitudes needed for positive future actions. With EMDR therapy, these items are addressed using an eight-phase treatment approach.
Eye movements (or other bilateral stimulation) are used during one part of the session. Through bilateral stimulation, internal associations arise and the clients begin to process the memory and disturbing feelings. In successful EMDR therapy, the meaning of painful events is transformed on an emotional level. For instance, a rape victim shifts from feeling horror and self-disgust to holding the firm belief that, “I survived it and I am strong.”
EMDR successfully treats:
generalized anxiety
PTSD
grief and mourning
depression
attachment disorder
Unlike talk therapy, the insights clients gain in EMDR therapy result not so much from clinician interpretation, but from the client’s own accelerated intellectual and emotional processes. The net effect is that clients conclude EMDR therapy feeling empowered by the very experiences that once debased them. Their wounds have not just closed, they have transformed. As a natural outcome of the EMDR therapeutic process, the clients’ thoughts, feelings and behavior are all robust indicators of emotional health and resolution—all without speaking in detail or doing homework used in other therapies.
Benefits of EMDR Therapy
help clients activate their natural healing processes
addresses how our memories inform our experiences
addresses adverse life experiences that contribute to problems in daily living
What are the side effects?
As with any form of psychotherapy, there may be a temporary increase in distress.
distressing and unresolved memories may emerge
some clients may experience reactions during a treatment session that neither they nor the administering clinician may have anticipated, including a high level of emotion or physical sensations
subsequent to the treatment session, the processing of incidents/material may continue, and other dreams, memories feelings, etc., may emerge
How many sessions?
The number of sessions depends upon the specific problem and client history. However, studies have shown that a single trauma can be processed within 3 sessions in 80-90% of the participants. While every disturbing event need not be processed, the amount of therapy will depend upon the complexity of the history. In a controlled study, 80% of multiple trauma victims no longer had PTSD after approximately 6 hours of treatment.
Disclaimer: The information above is from the EMDR Institute. Please visit www.EMDR.com for more information
