A Quick Guide to EMDR Therapy
There has been a lot of talk lately about EMDR therapy. And you might be asking what the heck is this anyway?
EMDR stands for “Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing”. This is a structured therapeutic approach which follows a scripted protocol that is used to treat trauma and a wide variety of other mental health concerns.
Let’s talk for a minute about some of the basics. The brain's memory network is a complex system of interconnected neurons which are constructed by a combination of our genetic predisposition and our life experiences. These memory networks influence how we experience the world and are the basis of our beliefs, attitudes, and perceptions. EMDR therapy is founded on the idea that adverse events interfere with our brain’s processing and storing of memories.
Many of the reasons we go to therapy, such as unhealthy behaviors, ways of thinking, and ways of relating to others, are often the result of the adverse life experiences which become encoded into memories in ways which impair our ability to process them in an adaptive way. EMDR therapy helps us to access these memory networks and move them from a place of emotional activation or “charge” (“Desensitization”) to a more logical and rational place (“Reprocessing”). This allows our human systems to know and feel the adverse experiences are in the past and we are safe in the present moment. So, after EMDR therapy, things which trigger us lose their charge, and we can now react to what is happening in the present rather than overreacting due to past adverse experiences.
One of the unique features of EMDR therapy is that you are encouraged to focus on targeted memories while simultaneously experiencing bilateral stimulation, or BLS, to access and disrupt the memories in question. BLS is a technique involving alternating stimuli to the left and right sides of the body to engage both hemispheres of your brain. The stimuli is typically visual, looking rapidly from left to right (“Eye Movement”). However, the BLS can also be auditory, listening to a tone in the left ear then the right. Or it can be tactile, which includes tapping on one side of your body then the other or holding small tools (typically shaped like a computer mouse) which vibrate in the left hand and then the right.
EMDR can be incredibly effective, when done properly, and has an extensive body of research both surrounding and backing it. EMDR is proven to help treat PTSD and a wide variety of other issues. See more about this below. This form of therapy is used by therapists worldwide who have treated millions of individuals (and couples) since its inception by Dr. Francine Shapiro in 1987.
Got it! So, what does a typical EMDR session look like?
EMDR therapy has eight phases and the first two are to get you ready and to help the clinician in preparing their treatment plan for you. And depending on your needs, preparation can take several sessions.
Preparation sessions will look a bit more like traditional therapy or even talk therapy. The therapist will have different questions for you to answer, make guesses about you based on your answers, request your input on if the guesses are right, and then do some cognitive and/or somatic exercises together to help get you ready. All of this is because the therapist wants to make sure you are ready to begin EMDR therapy and it can take time to achieve the emotional stability and level of self-care needed to safely process trauma. A good EMDR practitioner will make sure you have plenty of resources available, so that if your brain keeps processing outside of the therapy room, you have tools to help you get back into or stay in your comfort zone.
Once you are ready to begin EMDR therapy the therapist will collaborate with you to find treatment targets or symptoms you would like to work on. And then they will help you recall memories to work with. They will also go over the different types of BLS to see what works best for you. Then, the magic begins, and desensitization and reprocessing will start.
These sessions include having you focus on the target memory while thinking about a specific phrase and following BLS. This will happen for intervals with the therapist stopping to check in with you about what you are experiencing. And it may be helpful to know that this can happen quickly, or it can take several months, depending on a variety of factors. Once these phases are completed, the therapist will guide you through some positive experiences while following the BLS, again stopping to check in with you along the way. This entire process can repeat and continue for multiple memories or targets.
Okay! So, then you might be asking: how do I know if I should try EMDR therapy? That is a good question. Let’s start with people who are not ready for EMDR therapy, which includes people whose brains aren’t ready to process the trauma and shut down whenever therapy is attempted. And EMDR is not a good fit for those who are skeptical of therapy and do not believe in its ability to work. Also, while EMDR can be used to treat addictions and substance abuse, if you have used in the 12 hours prior to a session, EMDR may not work for you. Additionally, if you fall into any of the following categories, talk to your therapist about it:
· Use medications which include benzodiazepines or marijuana
· Have a dissociative disorder
· Are diagnosed with a personality disorder
· Have a co-occurring physiological health disorder, such as epilepsy, or other condition which can cause seizures
In order to be able to participate in EMDR therapy at a basic level, you should be able to be present in both mind and body, able to notice what you are experiencing during the session, able to tolerate a certain level of distress, tolerate feeling worse for short periods of time, and be able to effectively cope with any discomfort which may arise. If you can do all of that, you are off to a good start! In general, EMDR therapy is recommended for individuals (or couples) who are experiencing:
· Addictions
· Anger issues
· Anxiety and/or panic attacks
· Chronic illness
· Chronic pain
· Depression
· Eating disorders
· OCD
· Phobias
· PTSD
· Recurring self-defeating patterns of behavior & negative thinking
· Self-esteem issues
· Sexual dysfunctions
· Sleep disorders
· Trauma related obesity
· Unresolved or prolonged grief
It can also be helpful if you’ve tried other therapies without resolution. If you have read through all of this and still aren’t sure if EMDR therapy is a good fit for you, try reading “Getting Past Your Past: Take Control of Your Life with Self-Help Techniques from EMDR Therapy,” by Francine Shapiro (the founder of EMDR therapy). You can also check out this website: https://www.emdria.org/about-emdr-therapy/ (EMDRIA is the international governing body of EMDR therapy, so they know what they are talking about).
EMDR can be an amazing and powerful tool when it’s done right. So, I recommend that you talk to more than one EMDR therapist, ask them about their experience with people like you, and ask them if they think you, are a good candidate.
Does this sound like something you think would be a good fit for you and you’d like to give it a try? We have providers on staff at Riverbank who have completed EMDRIA Approved EMDR Basic Training and can provide this service for you. Click here to schedule a free consultation with one of our therapists!