EMDR stands for Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing. This therapy is a set of standard protocols that incorporate elements from many other treatment approaches, such as mindfulness, CBT, somatic experiencing, experiential, psychodynamic, & family systems theory. Bilateral stimulation is added to this, usually by the therapist guiding the clients’ eye movements left to right, as our eyes do naturally in REM sleep. Some therapists use bilateral tapping on the client’s knees instead of eye movements. There is much less talking in EMDR sessions, so that you can go inwards and process (like mindfulness with a jet pack and a laser targeting specific beliefs). You choose which beliefs you want to work on, one at a time, in a collaborative way with your therapist.
About EMDR Therapy
Dr. Shapiro, the creator of EMDR in 19988, describes it as “a simultaneous desensitization and cognitive restructuring of memories and personal attributions, involving processing of the disturbing memories.” It is a scientifically validated method of psychotherapy, accepted by the Canadian Justice System, World Health Organization, Therapyadvisor.com, many Employee Assistance Programs, and some medical doctors are either practising it or referring their patients for it. It has been recommended by the American Psychiatric Association, the UK Dept. of Health, Harvard & Boston U, and the International Society for Traumatic Stress.
Positive Changes In the Brain
EMDR has been used worldwide and thoroughly researched. Dr Bessel Van Der Kolk, Medical Director of the Trauma Center in MA, psychiatrist and professor at Boston University and Harvard, and researcher on trauma, found specific positive changes in the brain due to EMDR and highly recommends it as a treatment for PTSD. More than 20 randomized studies have reported that EMDR is effective, that the eye movements are producing positive effects, and when used to treat PTSD, the improvement in trauma symptoms is maintained & even continues to improve after cessation of treatment.
I have helped many clients recover from PTSD using this approach with faster and more permanent results than with CBT or other forms of talk therapy.
Unlike CBT, EMDR does not require you to share every detail of past negative events, endure direct challenging of your beliefs, or prolonged exposure to distressing memories, or ongoing homework.
How Does it Work?
Traumatic memories stay “stuck” in the brain’s nether regions– the nonverbal, non-conscious, subcortical regions (amygdala, thalamus, hippocampus, hypothalamus, and brain stem), where they’re not accessible to the frontal lobes– the logical, reasoning parts of the brain. They are recorded as sensory memory traces (including body sensations) and are inaccessible to conscious examination (Damasio, 2006). This therapy activates all these parts simultaneously and because neurons that fire together, wire together = triggers are desensitized and new neural pathways are formed that are more adaptive. The insights clients gain in EMDR result not from clinician interpretation, but from the clients’ own accelerated intellectual and emotional processing. Once the trauma is resolved, spontaneous improvement in other psychological domains occurs. See Shapiro’s AIP model for more explanation.
How Long Will it Take?
A typical EMDR session lasts 90 minutes. It can last 60 minutes on occasion. Each person is unique, so the number of sessions you need can vary. For someone healing a single incident trauma, with no hidden connections to other events or beliefs, it may take five sessions, including the two prep sessions. For more repeated trauma, it may take 12 sessions or longer, depending on your life circumstances, the type of trauma, and the pace that best suits you. For the results to be maintained over time, it is important that all the significant traumatic memories be treated.
Super Resourcing
I use EMDR with attachment and attunement as per Laurel Parnell’s methods and Alison Teal’s Super-Resourcing, which my clients find speeds up the healing and make the EMDR even more effective, safe, and comfortable for them. Before we start, you get to choose a team that you can imagine helps you in the disturbing events. We can then strengthen your helper figures protectiveness, nurturing, wise advising, your positive memories, even your own qualities that will help you in EMDR. I will offer cognitive interweaves if you get stuck for a moment and you can choose from amongst them any ideas that resonate for you. They will then help you feel that a positive, adaptive belief is becoming more true for you (e.g. I’m good enough, I’m safe now, I can handle what comes).
What You Can Expect During EMDR Sessions
When you have done all the prep and have chosen the first memory and belief to work on, your therapist will sit opposite you but to one side. They need to move closer temporarily when using eye movement so their fingers are at a distance that is comfortable for your eyes to focus on and follow. The therapist will ask you to focus inward on the traumatic memory, your emotions, thoughts, bodily sensations, visual images and follow their fingers with your eyes: left-right. No, it is not at all like hypnosis, where you are in a calm, relaxed state. You will experience strong emotions, as that is what helps activate the parts of the brain where the trauma/disturbing event is stored. This is necessary to produce change. I used to use therapies that only dealt with the conscious mind and found little improvement that didn’t last. With EMDR, more parts of the brain are activated, in an intense way. I found significant progress in my clients in much less time and with lasting results.
If you cannot do the eye movements, some therapists offer other forms of bilateral stimulation (BLS): hand taps, auditory tones, hand–held buzzing mechanisms. They are all alternating activation of the right hemisphere and then the left hemisphere of the brain (BLS) which facilitates processing of psychological difficulties. You will be pausing briefly & reflecting on what you were noticing during the BLS. If needed, your therapist may ask you questions occasionally to help you move to a neutral or positive interpretation of what the event meant about you e.g., “I did the best I could.” A crucial step is pairing the original disturbing event with the new positive cognition. By the end of each session, clients report significant reduction in level of disturbance and report feeling relief, peace, & calmness.
Unlike some other therapies, EMDR clients are not asked to relive the trauma intensely for prolonged periods of time. In EMDR when there is a high level of intensity, it will only last for a few moments and then decrease rapidly. If it does not subside quickly on its own, let your therapist know because they can then use techniques to help your distress quickly dissipate. This is important so you can function comfortably outside of the sessions. If you are stuck at any point, I will not just keep saying “Go with that.” I will offer cognitive interweaves (questions, info, or ideas for an alternate ending) that you can try out if you wish to. They can provide for you what you wished had happened but didn’t. You may be tired after EMDR sessions, so plan to have some down time after each treatment.
Past, present, and future aspects of events are addressed and evaluation is included briefly in each session to assess progress and choose next events/beliefs to work on.
What Can You Expect After EMDR Treatment is Complete
You will still be the same person and be able to remember accurately what happened, but it will be less upsetting or not disturbing at all. You’ll have learned all you need to learn from your traumas. If you’ve had PTSD, you will no longer suffer from nightmares, intrusive memories, emotional flooding, anxiety, numbing, or low self–esteem. Even smaller traumas or hindering beliefs from any overwhelming event can be treated effectively with EMDR.
As an EMDR counsellor, I’ve had clients become more confident, calm, stable, hopeful, and adaptive. I’ve witnessed my clients developing more ability to focus, to learn, to sleep well, to recover from breakups, to recover from narcissist’s abuse, to trust their judgement, to reduce survivor guilt, eliminate impostor syndrome, to protect their family & themselves, to have healthier relationships. My clients have also become more calmly assertive, built more friendships, set healthy boundaries, changed careers, taken on tasks they’ve avoided, and become competent leaders.
What is EMDR Effective For
EMDR can be used to enhance performance, including interview skills, public speaking skills, or dating. EMDR is effective at treating PTSD and traumas from natural disasters, assault, abuse, accidents, or traumatizing medical or dental procedures. EMDR can be used to treat anxiety, depression, survivor guilt, or low self–esteem.