Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR)

 
 

What is emdr therapy?

EMDR was created by Dr. Francine Shapiro in the 1980s and has been studied and researched extensively over the past forty years. Originally designed as a treatment specifically for posttraumatic stress disorder, EMDR utilizes bilateral stimulation, often through the use of eye movements, tapping, or auditory stimulation, to challenge the brain’s working memory and desensitize responses to stimuli.

When something traumatic happens, it becomes trapped in your working memory - meaning the play button is getting hit on the body sensations, images, negative and irrational thoughts about yourself and the world, and emotions over and over again in our daily life, even though the event is long behind you. Bilateral stimulation is effective in moving the traumatic material from working memory over to your long term memory system where it belongs. While you will not forget the event, the memories will no longer be as activating and disruptive to daily life, and your beliefs about yourself as a person will begin to shift towards more positive, adaptive thoughts.

is emdr only effective for trauma symptoms?

No! Since the 1980s, EMDR has been studied and validated as effective treatment for a wide range of mental health challenges, including, but not limited to:

  • Anxiety

  • Depression

  • Eating Disorders

  • Phobias

  • Substance Abuse

  • Self Esteem

  • Post Traumatic Stress Disorder

  • Complex Trauma

  • Attachment Disorders

what does an emdr session look like?

Your therapist will work with you to create a treatment plan considering your unique needs and goals. Your therapist will teach you self regulation strategies to prepare you for reprocessing sessions. You will decide between visual, auditory, and tactile bilateral stimulation, and your therapist will guide you through recalling the target memory while focusing on your chosen bilateral stimulus. This may continue for just one session, or for many - as long as it takes to bring the disturbance down! Before you leave the office each week, your therapist will check in with you to see how you are feeling, what you have learned, and help contain any leftover disturbance from the work you did that day.