what is Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) Therapy?

EMDR can be used for:

Anxiety, panic attacks, and phobias

Chronic illness and medical issues

Depression and bipolar disorders

Eating disorders

Grief and loss

Pain

Psychosis

PTSD/CPTSD

Sexual assault

Sleep disturbance

Substance abuse and addiction

Violence and abuse

First…lets explain the relationship between trauma and the body;

When something traumatic happens to us, it can lead to a negative stress responses in the future with triggering events. Out natural response to stress are fight, flight or freeze. When we experience a trigger or stress response to a prior traumatic event, it can lead to upsetting images, emotions, and thoughts that make us feel like we are back in that moment and feel overwhelmed or “frozen in time.”

EMDR involves stimulating communication between the amygdala (internal signal for stressful events), the hippocampus (responsible for learning, including memories regarding safety and danger), and the prefrontal cortex (which controls and analyzes behavior and emotion). While most times traumatic events can be processed and resolved naturally, others may not be processed without assistance.

 

EMDR is a process that utilizes bilateral stimulation (eye movements, tactile, visual, sound) to mimic sleep patterns so that the brain can process these memories and distressing feelings to begin the “healing process.” It does not delete the memory from existence, but it is intended to rid of the “fight, flight, freeze” response from the original event.   

FAQs

  • EMDR treats a multitude of different diagnoses and symptoms. Some of the most common include anxiety, panic attacks, phobias, chronic illness/medical issues, depression, bipolar disorders, eating disorders, grief/loss, pain. psychosis, PTSD/CPTSD, sexual assault, sleep disturbance, substance abuse/ addiction, and violence/abuse

  • The number of sessions depends on the presenting problem, client history, and severity of the symptoms. Repeated controlled studies have informed that a single trauma can be processed in 3 sessions in 80-90% of the participants.

  • Like other forms of psychotherapy, there may be a temporary elevation of distress.

    • unresolved/distressing memories may surface

    • some clients may experience reactions that were not anticipated, including heightened level of emotion and/or physical sensations

    • after the treatment session, the processing of incidents may continue; and other dreams, memories, feelings may come up.