What is EMDR and how does it work?

EMDR therapy was developed by Francine Shapiro in 1987 after experiencing her own traumatic event. Since its development, there has been a ton of research supporting its effectiveness.  Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) is a type of psychotherapy that became popular for its effectiveness for survivors of trauma.  Research has shown that EMDR is an effective treatment for a variety of other mental health conditions as well, such as depression, anxiety, phobias, OCD, and many more.

EMDR is an 8 phase model of treatment that helps the client to reprocess traumatic memories using bilateral stimulation (BLS). The most common type of BLS used is eye movements, but bilateral sound or tapping can also be used. This helps the brain to process the trauma for good and alleviate current symptoms. The foundation of EMDR is built upon the idea that traumatic memories are stored in our brains in a sort of loop. The memory or feelings are never really "digested." These loops usually show up in the form of, emotions, thoughts, images, or distorted beliefs about ourselves. When this emotional stuff kicks in it can create distress in the form of PTSD, anxiety, depression, etc.  A person might intellectually understand that they are not responsible for a traumatic event, but when they think of the event, all their thoughts and feelings say that they are responsible and they feel responsible. EMDR interrupts this process and aligns the person's thoughts and feelings so they are more in line with reality. The goal is that the person will experience less distress, less distorted thoughts and beliefs, and fewer negative feelings about themselves. EMDR therapy can be done on one traumatic memory or many. Most often, I assist client's in working through all of their past traumatic memories. Another benefit of EMDR therapy is that it does not require the individual to talk extensively about their past trauma.  The traumatic memories can be processing without hashing out all the details.

What does a session look like?

The initial phases of EMDR focus on many of the same things as other types of therapy: history taking, assessment, and building up of resources or coping skills. During a processing session, a client is asked to identify a target memory, while also identifying the thoughts and feelings that go along with that image. The next part of the session will focus on doing several rounds of bilateral stimulation (eye movements, tapping, bilateral sounds). After each round, the therapist stops to ask the client what is coming up for them. This typically goes on until the client reports a distress level of zero. This can sometimes occur in one session but often, it takes several sessions to work through a target memory.

I underwent training in EMDR and as part of the extensive training process, I had to practice with other therapists. This was not a role-play exercise. I had to use real disturbing memories from my own life. It was a bit scary at first to make myself that vulnerable in a training setting, but I am so glad that I did because it allowed me to experience the magic of EMDR myself and see how truly effective it can be.

Since the training, I have been able to use EMDR with many of my clients and it truly has changed my practice for the better. Clients who have tried many other types of therapy have reported relief after trying out EMDR.