What is EMDR?
As described by the EMDR International Association (EMDRIA), Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) therapy is an extensively researched, effective psychotherapy method proven to help people recover from trauma and other distressing life experiences, including PTSD, anxiety, depression, panic disorders, grief, and unresolved issues from your past.
Past emotionally-charged or distressing experiences can have an impact on current emotions, sensations, and how one might perceive themselves and the world. EMDR therapy can facilitate emotional healing by effectively working through these distressing experiences or disturbing memories. This structured process allows one to access their brain’s natural healing process using rapid eye movements, much like what occurs during REM sleep. EMDR helps let go of past experiences and update them with a new healthier perspective.
Bilateral Stimulation (BLS) is used to process troubling images, thoughts, memories, or emotions. BLS involves right to left eye movement and/or tactile stimulation, which repeatedly activates the opposite sides of the brain, releasing emotional experiences that are “trapped” in the nervous system. Resulting in resolution of the targeted issues and a more peaceful state is achieved as the mind body connection is repaired.
Who is it for?
As stated by EMDRIA, EMDR therapy helps children and adults of all ages and can be used to address a wide range of challenges including:
-
Anxiety, panic attacks, and phobias
-
Chronic Illness and medical issues
-
Depression and bipolar disorders
-
Dissociative disorders
-
Eating disorders
-
Grief and loss
-
Pain
-
Performance anxiety
-
Personality disorders
-
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and other trauma and stress-related issues
-
Sexual assault
-
Sleep disturbance
-
Substance abuse and addiction
-
Violence and abuse
What are the potential benefits?
Fostering a new, more positive, belief system. Traumatic or distressing events can largely impact our internal dialogue and EMDR therapy can change negative dialogue to more positive dialogue and self-beliefs. These new positive self-beliefs, in turn, impact the perspective that one has about oneself, relationships, behavioral choices, and their experience with the world.
Breaking the cycle of anxiety, unhelpful patterns, and reorganizing thoughts. EMDR therapy can aid in letting go of circular thinking and patterns of worry connected to a sad or anxiety provoking memory. It also facilitates the reorganization of thoughts, feelings, and memories related to the memory. When the memory is reorganized in the brain, it is no longer closely tied to the emotions and stimuli attached to it. This provides relief and can feel as though the memory is distant or “fuzzy” and no longer controls the client’s experience.
Achieve the benefits of therapy in a shorter amount of time. For some individuals, EMDR can accomplish what other therapeutic approaches accomplish in fewer sessions. EMDR therapy allows them to quickly identify and process memories or events that are connected to negative beliefs and other challenges that they are experiencing.
EMDR does not require talking in detail about your trauma. Instead of talking in depth about your trauma or a distressing event, you will think about it and describe what you experience.
What are the risks?
EMDR is a safe and effective therapy. It is important to work with an EMDR-trained and EMDRIA approved therapist to be sure that they are skilled in using the technique. As with any therapy, EMDR may cause heightened emotions or uncomfortable sensations. Some temporary side effects may occur including tiredness, changes in dreams, feeling emotionally sensitive, and remembering additional memories. Your therapist will help you manage any discomfort that may arise throughout treatment.
What to expect in an EMDR session?
The first stages of EMDR include information gathering regarding your history, treatment planning, and preparation. Typically this will require a few sessions before reprocessing begins. Once reprocessing begins, you will briefly discuss the negative experience and desired resolution with your therapist. Then sets of rapid eye movement or other bilateral stimulation will be applied. You will be encouraged to “free-associate” and allow the brain to work through the experience. Your therapist will briefly stop you to check in and see what you are experiencing. This allows them to guide you and see where you are in the process. This will continue until the experience has been updated to a new, more positive perspective. This process may take multiple sessions. You will then work together with your therapist to integrate these new insights and perspectives into your daily life.
EMDR therapy may be used within standard talk therapy, as an adjunctive therapy, or as a treatment by itself.
If you are interested in learning more or scheduling an appointment with one of our EMDR trained therapists, please call our office at 239-297-7099.
Amanda Kranich, is an EMDRIA approved EMDR trained therapist. To contact her with questions please email amanda@
Chelsea Darling, is an EMDRIA approved EMDR trained therapist. To contact her with questions please email chelsea@
Aliana Loomis, is an EMDR trained therapist specializing in using this approach with children. To contact her with questions please email her at Alaina@floridaarttherapyservices.com
Reina Lombardi, is an EMDRIA approved EMDR trained therapist. To contact her with questions please email Reina@
Source:
https://www.emdria.org/about-
Therapists using EMDR Bi-lateral Stimulation paddles and headphones.