The Basics of EMDR

Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) is a relatively new form of treatment, having only been developed in the last four decades. Originally, it was created for the treatment of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), but can and is often used for other disorders and situations such as phobias, pain management, dissociative disorders, eating disorders, and even dermatological disorders. The main idea behind how EMDR was developed and how it works is that trauma that continues to interfere with our lives and functioning is due to memories being inadequately processed. These memories remain stored in our minds, and contain the same feelings, cognitions, physical sensations, and beliefs that we held in the moment the event occurred. When those memories are then triggered, we experience those same thoughts, feelings, and sensations that we did when those memories were formed. The goal of EMDR therapy is to reprocess and properly “store” those certain, traumatic memories so that we are able to reduce the negative thoughts, feelings, and sensations that we experience when those memories are triggered. This is done through bilateral (left-right) stimulation such as eye movement from left to right, or bilateral tapping or listening to sounds bilaterally.

Dr. Francine Shapiro, the psychologist who developed EMDR as a treatment, originally laid out that the therapy would take place one or two times a week for 6 to 12 total sessions, however, depending on the individual receiving EMDR therapy, it may take fewer sessions or more. Regardless of how long EMDR therapy might take someone, the main 

There are eight main phases to the therapy, beginning with the client history gathering and planning phase, followed by the preparation and relationship building phase. The third phase is the assessment phase where memories are identified, and the fourth phase is the desensitization phase where bilateral stimulation occurs while the client focuses on the chosen memory until the client no longer reports distress upon thinking of that memory. The next and fifth phase is the installation phase where the client installs a positive memory while processing the traumatic memory. The sixth phase is where the client scans their body for any potential places where they might still feel distress or the main symptom of the distressing memories. In the sixth phase, once symptoms are no longer present, reprocessing has completed. The seventh phase is about closure, and is when the therapist will guide the client on how to track and regulate between sessions if the memory was not fully processed. The eighth and final phase is all about reevaluation, where a client’s progress is tracked, and an assessment on whether or not more sessions are needed is done.

It is still not well understood why or how EMDR works, but it does work; oftentimes, EMDR therapy can provide results sooner than with other forms of therapy. EMDR also has a lot more work that is done within session than out of session, unlike with other forms of therapy; there are no worksheets that need to be completed, and clients only take notes on feelings and thoughts if you want to bring them up at subsequent sessions. While it does have limitations, as it is unlikely to help in cases where mental health conditions have occurred due to an inherited condition or injury, it is quite effective in helping in many cases. 

If you are interested in learning more about EMDR, feel free to look into the links in the resources section below, or reach out to us here at Birch Psychology, where there are clinicians who would love to play a role in your journey through EMDR.

Ayanna Schubert

Birch Psychology

Resources

https://www.apa.org/ptsd-guideline/treatments/eye-movement-reprocessing

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3122545/