EMDR Therapy
EMDR—A Revolutionary Approach To Therapy
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing—otherwise known as EMDR—is a brain/body-based therapy with great healing potential. By facilitating new neural pathways in the brain, EMDR allows us to process emotional pain and trauma.
Whether we struggle to process experiences from childhood or a recent single-event trauma, EMDR can help us integrate the memory in a way that is less disruptive, distressing, and painful. And aside from trauma-related issues, EMDR can be used to treat:
Anxiety (including phobias and panic attacks)
OCD
Depression
Dissociative Disorders
The History And Effectiveness Of EMDR
In the 1980s, Dr. Francine Shapiro noticed that the emotional disturbance she felt when recalling an upsetting memory was lessened as she moved her eyes from side to side. This movement, known as bilateral stimulation, was elemental in developing Shapiro’s theory into the therapeutic modality of Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing.
Initially, EMDR was used as a treatment for veterans struggling with PTSD following their combat experiences. However, through ample research and case studies, EMDR has become widely accepted as a treatment for any type of trauma or emotionally distressing event. Today, mental health organizations across the globe—including the World Health Organization (WHO) and the American Psychiatric Association (APA)—recognize EMDR as a highly effective approach.
How Does EMDR Therapy Work?
When we experience trauma, our nervous system becomes overwhelmed and thus unable to properly integrate what happened. These traumas may be one-time dangerous or life-threatening situations, or they can stem from negative experiences from childhood—including attachment wounds, trauma stemming from abuse (including physical, emotional, and sexual abuse), racial and/or generational trauma, and bullying. EMDR reintegrates these memories, effectively releasing the negative thoughts, feelings, and sensations associated with them.
Oftentimes, clients come to me when a specific symptom has affected their quality of life. Whether they battle anxious, panicked thoughts, struggle with low self-esteem, or feel stuck in painful past experiences, my goal is to work backward toward the root of the problem so that we can treat the cause—and not just the symptom. Usually, when we peel back the layers, we discover some kind of traumatic experience at the core of their sadness, worry, low self-esteem, or distress.
The Process
Treatment using EMDR begins with exploring a client’s history and symptoms. All of EMDR therapy—including the history taking—is done slowly at a pace that doesn’t create emotional flooding or overwhelm the client with unpleasant thoughts, memories, and sensations. As such, practicing grounding techniques and resourcing (installing positive memories and strengths while also creating new ones) will be essential in early counseling sessions as clients enhance their ability to self-regulate both in and out of the therapeutic space.
Once a client can achieve “one foot in the past and one in the present,” as it were, we will begin the process of desensitization. This involves selecting a “target” image or memory to focus on while bilateral stimulation—using sights, sounds, or touch—is engaged via side-to-side movement.
As we do this, we tap into the brain’s memory network and create new pathways for stored trauma to be released. Clients are likely to notice symptom reduction in real-time as the desensitization pattern is repeated until the memory is neutralized.
EMDR Vs. Other Approaches
Many traditional talk therapies, such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), are “top-down,” meaning that the therapeutic intervention is taking place in the neocortex (or higher area of the brain) to treat surface symptoms and promote regulation. While these approaches can be helpful, Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing is different because it is “bottom-up.” EMDR targets trauma at the limbic system (or lower part of the brain), unlocking painful experiences to be effectively reprocessed.
This makes EMDR a relatively quick treatment, catalyzing the process of moving the trauma from somewhere where it has been “stuck” to a new place where it can be “completed” or adapted into the brain’s healed neural pathways. In essence, EMDR renews the brain and body’s memory network.
EMDR At Pathways To Peace
I came across EMDR in my undergraduate and graduate studies, continually impressed by how intuitive this treatment approach seemed. While my career path pulled me in several different directions, EMDR’s ability to enhance the brain’s natural healing functions always stuck with me. When my path finally led to working as a clinical therapist, I knew it was time to get trained in EMDR.
As a trauma-informed counselor, EMDR is a meaningful tool I use in therapy. It’s an incredibly safe and gentle method, available to teen and adult clients alike. Though EMDR is generally nonverbal in and of itself, talk therapy and other approaches will be used depending on the needs of each client. Such modalities might include behavioral therapies, Somatic Experiencing (a body-based approach), and Brainspotting, which is similar to EMDR. No matter what combination of methods we use, I believe that slow is fast when it comes to healing trauma—and I will make sure you have the resources you need to be successful.
So many of us carry unseen, unacknowledged, and misunderstood pain. Sometimes, we can identify where that pain stems from, but often, we don’t have the full picture. I promise to listen with respect and walk alongside you with compassion as your brain does the work it was designed to do so that you can live with less trauma. I look forward to being part of your healing journey.
Help Your Brain Heal Itself
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) can be the key to unlocking, processing, and healing from your trauma in therapy. To find out more about how EMDR can help you, contact me or schedule a free, 15-minute consultation here.
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