EMDR Therapy 101: What it is and How it Works
EMDR stands for Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing. It’s a type of therapy that's gaining a lot of traction in the mental health industry – and for good reason! While EMDR isn’t yet as popular as CBT or other types of talk therapy, the reason it’s becoming so prominent is that it’s so unique. Rather than focusing on speech to work things through, it focuses on eye movements and a “reprocessing” of the brain.
Whether you’ve already heard about EMDR or not, it’s worth looking into if you’re considering therapy. It was originally designed to help individuals struggling with trauma, but now it's used for various conditions and struggles.
With that in mind, let’s take a closer look at what EMDR really is and how it can help you.
What is EMDR Therapy?
EMDR is actually a psychotherapy method. Unlike other therapies, it doesn’t require you to talk about your past or any trauma you might have experienced. Instead, it allows your brain to heal naturally by resolving previously unprocessed memories. As a result, EMDR therapy typically takes less time, so you can see results sooner.
Each individual who goes through EMDR goes through the following eight stages:
History taking
Client preparation
Assessment
Desensitization
Installation
Body scan
Closure
Reevaluation
So, what can you expect from most sessions?
Your therapist will ask you to focus on the trauma or event causing you distress. From there, they'll begin a series of side-to-side movements or taps. Your eyes will follow those movements or sounds while you’re consciously thinking about the trauma. The bilateral stimulation in the brain during this process allows the trauma to become “unstuck” from your memory. This helps you start to feel more soothed and relaxed.
The more you desensitize yourself to the traumatic event, the less it will feel like it’s “taking over.” Then you can work on reprocessing, and carry what you’ve learned with you to stay calm and relaxed.
How Did it Start?
EMDR was started in the late 1980s. It was developed by Francine Shapiro, who was on a hike and experiencing flashbacks of a traumatic event. Dr. Shapiro quickly discovered that there was a connection between eye movements and troubling memories.
Even though Dr. Shapiro faced criticism and skepticism, she pursued the hypothesis of EMDR for years until it started to gain a stronger footing in the mental health community. Multiple studies and clinical trials were originally performed to discover the true value of EMDR, but those studies were mostly done on trauma patients.
Today, EMDR has grown to become a more accepted form of treatment–not just for those dealing with trauma.
Who Benefits From EMDR?
Again, EMDR was originally designed for people dealing with trauma, but it’s been found to help both children and adults struggling with a variety of conditions, including:
Anxiety
Chronic illness
Depression
Eating disorders
Grief/loss
Pain
Substance abuse
This isn’t an exhaustive list, and it keeps getting bigger as more people discover the effectiveness of EMDR. If you’re struggling with your mental health or you’re worried you might have an undiagnosed condition, receiving that diagnosis and considering EMDR can help.
This type of therapy can also help those who have a hard time opening up. Talk therapy options aren’t for everyone, and they’re only effective if you’re willing to be vulnerable. Because EMDR is so unique, it could be exactly what you need to work through your negative experiences without having to dive into your past.
If you’re interested in learning more about EMDR and whether it will work for you, please contact me.