What Is EMDR? | EMDR Therapy in Portland, Oregon
In recent years, Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) has gained popularity for the treatment of trauma-based mental health conditions. It’s practiced by more than 100,000 clinicians across the world, and millions of people have been treated successfully.
But what is EMDR, and how does it work? Keep reading to learn more.
What Is EMDR?
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) is a psychotherapy treatment that works to treat post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and other trauma-based mental health conditions.
In 1987, Dr. Francine Shapiro noticed that certain eye movements seemed to alleviate negative thoughts about previous traumatic events. She began to further explore the concept, and published the first controlled study on the treatment of PTSD with EMDR in 1987. In the nearly 40 years following, extensive research has demonstrated that EMDR can indeed be effective in the treatment of PTSD.
The American Psychiatric Association, Department of Veterans Affairs, Department of Defense, the Substance Abuse & Mental Health Services Administration, and the World Health Organization all recognize EMDR as an effective treatment for trauma.
How Does EMDR Work?
Working alongside a trained therapist, a patient goes through eight phases while undergoing EMDR treatment:
1. History Taking
The therapist gets to know the client and they collaboratively identify targets for treatment, including past memories, current triggers, and future goals.
2. Preparation
The client is introduced to the basic mechanics of EMDR and taught skills to manage distressing emotions.
3. Assessment
The therapist helps the client identify the distressing memory, the image of the worst moment of that memory, the client’s negative belief about themself in that moment, and the emotions and physical sensations associated with the memory. The client will also identify a positive cognition they would like to believe about themself in relation to the target memory.
4. Desensitization
The therapist guides the client to think about the image of the worst moment of the target memory while engaging in bilateral stimulation (BLS) in approximately 30-second increments. BLS is a side-to-side eye motion that has been found to enhance memory processing by decreasing memory vividness and emotionality.
The patient is then asked to notice any changes that occur in the memory, physical sensations, or emotions. These changes become the focus of the next set of BLS. This process is repeated until the memory becomes less distressing.
5. Installation
BLS is used to strengthen the patient’s positive belief about themself.
6. Body Scan
The therapist and patient identify and treat any physical sensations associated with the distressing memory.
7. Closure
If the targeted memory was not fully processed in the session, specific techniques are used to regulate emotions and ensure safety until the next session.
8. Reevaluation
At the start of the next session, the therapist evaluates the patient’s current emotional state, maintenance of treatment effects, and any new material that arose between sessions that may need to be processed.
What Does EMDR Treat?
EMDR is primarily used in the treatment of trauma and PTSD. Preliminary studies have indicated that EMDR may also be effective for other mental health conditions, but more research is still needed.
Some mental health providers use EMDR to treat:
Panic
Depression
Eating disorders
Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)
Dissociative disorders
Personality disorders
Why Is EMDR Effective In Treating Trauma?
There are multiple elements of EMDR that may contribute to its effectiveness, including exposure to the traumatic memory and mindfulness.
Some events are so overwhelming that our brain cannot process the memories properly. Because of this, they’re stored in an unprocessed form. When these memories are reactivated, the emotions, thoughts, and physical sensations that were present when the original traumatic event occurred are experienced all over again, which may cause dysfunctional reactions.
Dr. Shapiro believed that we have an information processing system in our brain that typically processes experiences in an adaptive way, allowing for learning to take place. This processing system consists of memory networks that are organized around the earliest related event and contain related thoughts, images, emotions, and sensations.
When memories go unprocessed, they essentially get “stuck.” However, by processing the memory during EMDR, the memory is then linked to adaptive information stored in the memory network. As maladaptive information is discarded and adaptive information is stored, the patient is able to be freed from the trauma loop and use this newly learned information to inform future experiences and choices.
Many clients prefer EMDR to other evidence-based treatments for trauma because they do not have to go into detail about the memories of disturbing events. Also, some other types of treatment may require time outside of the therapy session for “homework.” There is no homework involved in EMDR, and in comparison to other treatment models the treatment dropout rate is minimal.
Experience Freedom From Traumatic Memories With Aspire Psychology
Trauma may be a part of your history, but traumatic memories don’t have to remain the core part of your story. At Aspire Psychology, we believe that everyone deserves to live a life they aspire to, and our expert clinicians are here to partner with you to unlock a life of freedom, confidence, and joy.
EMDR is currently offered at Aspire Psychology by Dr. Jason Jones and Alesin Sinclair. Contact us today to get started.
Sources:
Getting Past Your Past, by Dr. Francine Shapiro
