EMDR therapy is great, evidence-based treatment for people who have experienced trauma. It helps you process what happened to you and put it in a new context so that it doesn’t keep affecting you. EMDR therapy is unlike other forms of therapy, in that it doesn’t require you to talk about past events. Instead, the therapist will ask you to move your eyes from side to side while thinking about what happened. This will help your brain process the event so that it no longer feels overwhelming or scary. While there are some concerns about how safe EMDR is and whether it provides long-term benefits, research shows that most people who use this type of therapy find relief from their symptoms after just a few sessions.
EMDR Stands For Eye Movement Desensitization And Reprocessing
Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) is a type of psychotherapy that uses eye movements and other forms of stimulation to reduce the distress you feel when recalling traumatic memories.
It was originally developed by Francine Shapiro in 1987, who discovered EMDR when she noticed that her eyes felt tired after looking at an upsetting image on television. She then noticed that this tiredness would disappear if she looked back at the same picture again, or another one with a different emotional charge.
Over time, she found that these eye movements had a therapeutic effect on people suffering from trauma who were reliving their experiences inside their minds without being able to move away from them.
EMDR Therapy Is Great And A Type Of Psychotherapy
It can be used with any individual who has experienced a traumatic event and is struggling as a result. There are four main types of EMDR therapy:
- Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) – This form of therapy uses eye movements to help individuals process the trauma they’ve experienced, which in turn reduces their symptoms and improves their mental health.
- Adaptive Information Processing – This form of EMDR therapy helps people learn how to process information so that they can make better decisions in life.
- Eye Movement Integration – Eye movement integration focuses on improving vision skills by using eye movements during specific exercises.
- Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy – Trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy combines elements from traditional CBT with elements from EMDR to provide additional treatment options for people struggling with PTSD or other anxiety disorders.
The Creator Of EMDR, Francine Shapiro
Discovered that EMDR could be used to treat trauma by accident. She was treating a woman who had suffered from severe post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) as a result of being raped and tortured in her youth. Shapiro asked the woman to recount the story of her trauma, but she couldn’t do it without breaking down into tears and becoming extremely agitated.
So instead, Shapiro asked her to follow her finger with her eyes. The woman’s mood suddenly shifted from distress to calmness and relaxation—the first stage of eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR).
In EMDR sessions
You can’t change what you don’t remember. Once these traumatic memories have been identified, it’s possible for the client to access them in an organized manner and process them effectively so they no longer cause distress or interfere with everyday life. The therapist helps the patient find a set of memories that are causing distress.
EMDR Therapy Is Great But Does It Make Memories Disappear
EMDR does not make the memories you have go away. Rather, it allows you to process them in a different way and become less bothered by them. In fact, some research suggests that after doing EMDR therapy, traumatic memories may even be more accessible in your brain but don’t bother you as much anymore!
EMDR therapy can also be used to help with other problems besides PTSD:
- Depression or anxiety disorders
- Stress, anger management issues and other emotional reactions
While In An EMDR Session
The therapist will ask you to concentrate on your thoughts and feelings related to the event, to recall the distressing memory, and then to follow the therapist’s finger with your eyes as you hold onto the thought or feeling associated with that memory. We call this process dual attention stimulation.
This technique helps you focus on the memory without becoming overwhelmed by it. It also provides a “grounding” effect which can help keep you present during therapy sessions. For example, a client might struggle to recall an earlier life event, such as getting into trouble during childhood; the numerous emotions linked to that incident can overwhelm them, leading to a feeling of total amnesia. The therapist will ask them what was happening near them at that time (e.g., “What did your mom look like?”, “What color was her hair?”). Asking these kinds of questions helps ground clients back into reality so they can start thinking through their problems again with less stress or anxiety attached than before starting treatment.”
The Idea Behind Dual Attention Stimulation Is
That it prevents you from focusing too intensely on the disturbing material. Once you access this material without becoming overwhelmed, you can process and integrate it more easily into your existing life story, reducing its traumatic impact. For instance, while working with a client who had experienced childhood abuse, I applied the dual attention strategy to help her realize her control over both her experiences and reactions. This allowed her to feel empowered and less powerless than she did before therapy began.
EMDR Therapy Can Help
To help reduce symptoms associated with depression and anxiety disorders. The treatment works by “manipulating the brain’s information processing system,” according to the American Psychiatric Association (APA). The APA notes that therapists use EMDR therapy not just for treating trauma, but they also use it in conjunction with traditional talk-based therapies such as psychodynamic or cognitive behavioral therapy.
There Are Some Concerns About How Safe EMDR Is
Some people have fears about the use of EMDR. They worry it might be dangerous due to the utilization of eye movements. At times, EMDR also employs sounds or other stimuli, adding to their concerns. However, there is no evidence that EMDR therapy is dangerous.
Therapists utilize EMDR for various purposes including the treatment of PTSD. They apply EMDR for tackling phobias, stress, and anxiety disorders. EMDR also helps in pain management and addressing substance abuse issues. EMDR is a type of psychotherapy that engages patients in recalling distressing memories. Patients simultaneously focus on the emotions linked to these memories. At the same time, they concentrate on an external stimulus like finger tapping or music-listening.
EMDR should never serve as a substitute for medication. If you are currently on prescription drugs for mental illness. It cannot replace them. This is particularly true in the case of disorders like depression. However, when it is appropriate for your condition or circumstances, you can use it alongside medication.
EMDR Therapy Is Great But Works Best When
It is not a standalone therapy. EMDR finds its utilization alongside traditional talk-based therapies. Examples of these therapies include psychodynamic or cognitive behavioral therapy. This combination is the usual practice in therapy sessions. There isn’t any research evidence that suggests EMDR works independently without any other traditional talk-based therapy. Therefore, seeking a therapist who can synergize both EMDR and traditional counseling becomes critically important.
EMDR serves as a valuable treatment tool for trauma, depression, and anxiety. It allows the processing of difficult experiences. Furthermore, it offers a pace that suits your level of comfort. The eye movements associated with this kind of treatment is strange at first. However, they actually have roots in ancient Chinese medicine. Many therapists use them today, with the theory that they clear the mind. Once cleared, the mind can process new information more easily.
In Conclusion
EMDR can be effective in treating mental illness. Therapists must pair EMDR with traditional talk therapy. Talk therapy is our strength at Thera-fi. It is important to be aware of some of the risks. Many studies show that EMDR helps reduce symptoms associated with depression and anxiety disorders. However, this is true only when it’s combined with other forms of psychotherapy. Note that not all people feel comfortable. Intentionally moving eyes back and forth while talking about traumatic experiences takes practice. Finally, if you’ve been searching for counseling services, you may have found us by looking up “Therapist near me counseling services”. If you’re looking to book a session, just click on the hyperlink. Now, if you want to read more reviews about Thera-fi, feel free to check out our Google Reviews.
