What is EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) therapy?
Comments from 4 different clients who have done EMDR
- “I haven’t gone into a store in over a year. Since doing EMDR I have gone to Walmart and Superstore. It’s been like a weight lifted off my shoulders. All the fear was bottled up inside me and now I’m free of the fears.”
- “Triggers that used to completely destabilize me now just float past. You notice them but don’t internalize them in the same way.”
- “I didn’t know what to expect but it was the best outcome I could have asked for. For working through trauma, it was the least stressful and anxiety inducing therapy I’ve tried, and it worked!”
- “I can tell you that I was skeptical at first but it worked! It enabled me to process past trauma and I feel lighter as a result. I’m noticing I’m showing up more authentically in interactions with my friends and boyfriend.”
EMDR is a structured therapy that encourages the patient to focus briefly on the trauma memory while simultaneously experiencing bilateral stimulation (typically eye movements), which is associated with a reduction in the vividness and emotion associated with the trauma memories. Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) therapy is an extensively researched, effective psychotherapy method proven to help people recover from trauma and PTSD symptoms. Ongoing research supports positive clinical outcomes, showing EMDR therapy as a helpful treatment for disorders such as anxiety, depression, OCD, chronic pain, addictions, and other distressing life experiences (Maxfield, 2019). EMDR therapy has even been superior to Prozac in trauma treatment (Van der Kolk et al., 2007). Shapiro and Forrest (2016) share that EMDR therapists in 130 countries have successfully treated millions.
How is EMDR therapy different from other therapies?
EMDR therapy does not require talking in detail about the distressing issue or
completing homework between sessions. EMDR therapy, rather than focusing on changing the emotions, thoughts, or behaviors resulting from the distressing issue, allows the brain to resume its natural healing process.
EMDR therapy is designed to resolve unprocessed traumatic memories in the brain. For
many clients, EMDR therapy can be completed in fewer sessions than other
psychotherapies.
Our brains have a natural way to recover from traumatic memories and events. This process involves communication between the amygdala (the alarm signal for stressful events), the hippocampus (which assists with learning, including memories about safety and danger), and the prefrontal cortex (which analyzes and controls behavior and emotion). While many times traumatic experiences can be managed and resolved spontaneously, they may not be processed without help.
Stress responses are part of our natural fight, flight, or freeze instincts. When distress from a disturbing event remains, the upsetting images, thoughts, and emotions may create an overwhelming feeling of being back in that moment, or of being “frozen in time.” EMDR therapy helps the brain process these memories and allows normal healing to resume. The experience is still remembered, but the fight, flight, or freeze response from the original event is resolved. (From the EMDRIA website)