What it is. How it works. What to expect.
What is EMDR Therapy?
EMDR Therapy stands for Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing Therapy. The main goal is for individuals to heal from past trauma and/or emotional distress and any symptoms associated. Studies have shown that people who participate in EMDR can experience benefits that could otherwise take years to achieve. the brain naturally want to heal. If that process is blocked or imbalanced by the impact of trauma or a distressing event, the emotional wound can cause great pain. EMDR helps to remove that block, allowing the brain’s natural healing process to continue.
How does it work?
EMDR uses Bilateral Stimulation (BLS) to mimic the brains natural processing. BLS is stimuli that occurs in a rhythmic left - right pattern. The most common would be eye movement, going from left to right. However, there are other options, such as physical tapping on one’s shoulders or legs. This stimulation mimics the REM stage of sleep, also known as Rapid Eye Movement. It is in this stage of sleep that our brains process our day. When distressing or traumatic events occur, the brain can have trouble processing those experiences away. This is where EMDR can assist in giving the brain a little ‘nudge’ to do what it already wants to do, process and heal.
History and Treatment Planning - Information is gathered and a plan is put together
Preparation - Visualization and relaxation techniques are taught to help the client stay calm and self-regulate
Assessment - The target memory is identified and BLS is set up for the next phase
Desensitization- BLS and Dual Attention is used to process the targeted memory and monitor any emotional disturbances
Installation - BLS is used with attention on positive cognition and VoC
Body Scan - Body is scanned for any residual tension
Closure - Check in before each session ends and techniques from preparation phase are used to calm/regulate
Re-evaluation - Check in at the start of each session and insights from the past week are shared