How does EMDR work?

Did you know that just as the body heals from injury, so can the brain when it comes to your mental health? 
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing Therapy (EMDR) is a type of
therapy that helps you heal from both recent and distant trauma, known anxiety triggers, phobias, phantom limb pain, loss of a loved one, and can help with emotional and psychological triggers for substance abuse too! It is also one of the primary methods of treatment for combat veterans with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.

This sounds like wonderful news, but how exactly does it work? 
When a disturbing event occurs, it can get locked in the brain with the original picture, sounds, thoughts, feelings, and body sensations. It is believed that the information never completely gets processed. EMDR seems to stimulate the information and allows the brain to reprocess the experience.

It is believed that we sometimes process our daily events during our sleep during rapid eye movement (REM), also known as dream sleep. EMDR uses similar eye movements and sometimes tones or tapping movements to help process the material. Another name for these interventions is bilateral stimulation, also called BLS. It is your own brain that will be doing the healing and you will be in control. The client works with the therapist to target unresolved memories, which will be paired with eye movements, tapping, or auditory tones (called bilateral stimulation). This will help you stay present in the room and will help reduce the re-experiencing of the memories. It is to be a viewing of the memory, much like you would be observing the scenery from a train. If the material becomes overwhelming at any point, you will give a hand signal to stop. There will be a break from reprocessing and the therapist will assess what is needed with you.

During reprocessing sessions, we will want to take 5-10 minutes at the beginning of sessions for a brief check-in this will allow you to report any significant changes from our previous session. Most of a reprocessing session will be taken up by sets of 20-30 full sets of eye movements, tappings, or tones with brief checks ins with you, to check in regarding surfacing material for 25-30 minutes. The last 5-15 minutes of the session will be used to debrief the session and if reprocessing is incomplete, we will take time to assist you with putting the material aside in a container and you will receive feedback and recommendations from the therapist.

Some benefits at the completion of EMDR therapy may include a decrease or elimination of vivid flashbacks, nightmares, anxiety, physical pain, difficulty sleeping, and may include an improved sense of physical and emotional well-being.

I began using EMDR in June 2020 as a treatment for my clients. As a therapist, I was drawn to learn and practice EMDR following many years of Child Welfare practice. I have personally seen the need for treatment of trauma, and I was excited to see that it can help with trauma and many other mental health symptoms.

If you are interested in trying EMDR, feel free to give Central Counseling a call to schedule an appointment at (951) 778-0230.