Eye Movement Desensitization & Reprocessing (EMDR) Therapy
EMDR stands for Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing. EMDR therapy, as we know it today, was started back in the 1980’s by Francine Shapiro, Ph.D. EMDR is a form of therapy which assist client’s in identifying and reprocessing distressing memories/events, which are impacting current feelings and behaviors, to alleviate distress associated with such memories.
When in engaging in EMDR therapy, sessions will differ as you and the therapist progress through the different phases of treatment. EMDR is a regulated form of treatment which is broken down into eight phases. This treatment begins with the therapist gaining knowledge regarding the client’s background and present concerns for treatment. Following that, resourcing is conducted, in which you will learn different coping and grounding techniques to help manage the intensity of distress. From there, the client and therapist will further discuss the client’s identified presenting concern, the core belief related to that concern, and other memories linked to the identified core belief. Once these steps have been completed, a series of steps will be followed, in which the client will think about one of the identified memories, while using a form of bilateral stimulation (such as eye movements), to assist in reprocessing.
EMDR can differ significantly from other forms of therapy. Traditionally, and more commonly, therapy is a back-and-forth conversation between the client and therapist. In EMDR, however, there is minimal conversation. Instead, time in session, is spent with the client thinking about a distressing memory while engaging in a form of bilateral stimulation (usually eye movements), while they reprocess the identified event. Between sets of reprocessing the memory, the client will tell the therapist what they experienced or noticed. However, this typically consists of a few words or a sentence or two and receives minimal to no feedback from the therapist. In addition, EMDR can also differ from some other forms of therapy, such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), in that it is not a skill the therapist is teaching a client that can be used outside of session. Oftentimes in therapies such as CBT, the therapist will teach the client tangible skills, such as thought logs or how to identify and challenge their thoughts. Once these skills are taught, the client is provided homework to utilize those taught skills outside of the session. However, in EMDR, this is not the case. EMDR is a form of treatment which is conducted by a trained therapist and is performed in sessions. This is not a therapy which is to be done outside of the therapeutic session.
EMDR therapy is typically thought of as a trauma treatment for PTSD. While this is the most common application; it is also an effective treatment for other diagnoses such as anxiety, obsessive compulsive disorder, and depression.
