Ep. 19/ EMDR
EMDR
(Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing)
BY: Wendy Pawelski, LCPC, CADC, EMDR
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) has become a technique that is increasing in popularity. EMDR has been featured recently in the News, with the treatment of Prince Harry, and Sandra Bullock. It has also been featured on popular sitcoms such as Grey's Anatomy, and Criminal Minds, causing a surge in people trying to understand what it’s all about.
So what the heck is EMDR?
EMDR therapy is a mental health treatment technique. This method involves moving your eyes a specific way while you process traumatic memories. EMDR’s goal is to help you heal from trauma or other distressing life experiences. Compared to other therapy methods, EMDR is relatively new. The first clinical trial investigating EMDR was in 1989. Dozens of clinical trials since EMDR’s development show this technique is effective and can help a person faster than many other methods.
Why do I need EMDR?
The reason you might need or want to try EMDR is because you feel stuck! A lot of patients I see have come to me after years of therapy. They are frustrated or close to giving up hope, and someone told them to find an EMDR therapist, for some it’s even a last ditch effort before they give up. Some people also come to EMDR because they have had something traumatic happen in their lives, and want to work on it and process it immediately, and they turn to EMDR to prevent a traumatic event from becoming trauma, and having it be processed as a bad memory only.
How does it work?
Most individuals wonder what actually occurs in a typical EMDR session. There are eight phases of treatment and the initial one focuses on taking a thorough client history followed by a preparation stage. In the Rapid Eye Movement portion, the client focuses on a troubling memory and identifies the belief he has about himself connected to this negative memory (for example, in dealing with rape, the person may believe “I am dirty”). The individual then formulates a positive belief that he would like to have about himself (“I am a worthwhile and good person in control of my life.”). All the physical sensations and emotions that accompany the memory are identified. The individual then goes over the memory while focusing on an external stimulus that creates bilateral (side to side) eye movement. This is most often achieved by watching the therapist moving a finger. After each set of bilateral movements, the individual is asked how he feels, tracking the level of disturbance. This process continues until the memory is no longer disturbing.
EMDR is a total game changer in trauma treatment. It allows the patient to have complete control over the process, and facilitates the shift of perception of an event to one that can be tolerated and understood in a different way. The goal of EMDR is always movement in one’s perception with hope that the memory no longer causes disturbances.
