EMDR Therapy
Healing trauma and distress through eye-movement
What is EMDR?
EMDR (Eye-movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) therapy) is an evidence-based therapy that uses bi-lateral stimulation to re-process traumatic and distressing events. Bi-lateral stimulation is the eye-movement part of EMDR, where your eyes follow a motion back and forth (possibly the therapist’s hand or a light), but can also include tapping or even walking. This process – believed to be similar to how we process during REM cycles in our sleep – leverages the body’s natural processing mechanisms to reduce distress around painful, traumatic events or move through stuck core beliefs. You will not forget that the experience occurred, but you will have less disturbance around it.
EMDR is a highly structured modality that tracks progress through the desensitization of distress. Because it is using bi-lateral stimulation to effectively hack the limbic system, it can be effective without a lot of talking, which some people prefer.
EMDR has been studied extensively in clinical trials and proven effective with:
- Healing from PTSD, trauma, and neglect / cPTSD
- Distress and emotional activation
- Flashbacks and nightmares
- Fears and phobias
- Negative core beliefs and stuck narratives
How does EMDR work?
When we experience a high-stress, or fight or flight situation, our nervous system goes into survival mode and the brain is not able to properly process the experience. Instead of becoming a memory, the event can end up stuck in a kind of emotional junk drawer, often popping up as nightmares, flashbacks, emotional volatility, or negative core beliefs. Over time, the impact of these events can erode our sense of self and quality of life.
EMDR leverages the mind’s natural ability to heal itself by removing the “stuck” emotional distress and activation around an experience.
“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.”
Learn more about EDMR therapy
Unlike traditional talk therapy, EMDR uses these hand movements or tapping to release the data about an experience from the emotional memories, and then replace the negative beliefs associated with the trauma (e.g. “I am powerless”) with more positive, adaptive beliefs (e.g., “I am strong and capable”). The brain continues the work of processing after the session.
This is a highly-structured therapy that has eight distinct phases. Before the processing starts, there is preparation that includes creating safety and resources, assessing concerns, and mapping of target memories. Each target memory will be assessed and re-processed until no further negative associations remain. Processing will move to cover address and future concerns before replacing the negative cognition with something you would rather believe about yourself.
What does a session look like?
A typical EMDR session will start with the therapist asking if you want to do EMDR therapy. Even if you have booked it as an EMDR session and are in the middle of processing, you always have the opportunity to use the session for talk therapy or grounding. Because the nervous system continues to process after the session, you may have experienced dreams, additional memories, important insights, increased distress, or increased peace that the therapist will want to know about. They will also ask where the level of distress is at on a scale of 1-10.
When the EMDR therapy is started, the therapist will position the chair in such a way that the hand movements are easy to track. The client will focus on the target memory, negative core belief, and associated emotions and the therapist will begin the hand motions or tapping.
Before the processing is started, however, the therapist will need to determine if EMDR is an appropriate treatment, discover if any disassociation is happening, take a complete history of the distressing experiences related to the theme, and identify resources for stabilization and containment.
Is EMDR Right For Me?
EMDR can be effective in reducing distress even after a few sessions, because the brain will continue working afterwards. However when there is complex trauma or multiple core beliefs blocking the natural processing, it can take some time to clear. This is a highly individual treatment, however, and depends on the level of distress, the complexity of trauma, and the availability of the client.
This is an evidence-based therapy that has been proven to reduce distress in several different areas. Once the painful memory has been desensitized and processed, it usually ceases to be triggering. However, during the process, it is likely that the discomfort will increase and has the potential to be destabilizing before it feels better. It is also possible that the processing becomes stuck and the level of distress doesn’t decrease. In this case, the therapist has many tools to switch direction.
There are no “shoulds” in EMDR – whatever comes up is valid, whether that be an intense physical feeling, an image, or another memory.
Yes, it is possible to do this work online or in person. While the therapist will provide structural supports, if attending online, please ensure that you are in a safe, confidential location where you will not be interrupted or distracted.
No. This therapy works best when we are able to get out of our own way – out of the cognitive mental processes and remembering “facts” about the event, and into the body and “feelings” / images, but it does not work the same way as hypnotherapy. You are in control of the session at all times.
EMDR may be a good option if you feel ready to process past trauma that is interfering with your life, or if you feel stuck on issues that you may have been working on for some time. It is not appropriate for those who are in crisis or who disassociate frequently.
Get started on your healing journey today
Please reach out if you have any questions or would like to set up a free 20-minute online consultation to see if we’re a good fit. If you can’t find a time that works for you, contact me directly.