EMDR Treatment

EYE MOVEMENT DESENSITIZATION THERAPY

EMDR is a procedure developed in the late 1980's by Francine Sahpiro, Ph.D., a California psychologist. It is a technique that allows people to work through and heal from traumatic and other emotionally stressful experiences. It has been taught to approximately 20,000 licensed psychotherapists internationally. Please make sure that any therapist who offers this to you as a treatment mode is 1) a licensed practitioner, whether it be a MD, Ph.D, LCSW, M.Ed, etc. and 2) that they are actually certified in either Level 1 or Level II of the EMDR training.

EMDR is a part of cognitive-behavior therapy and was first used on war veterans struggling with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. EMDR has greatly reduced and sometimes eliminated nightmares, flashbacks, insomnia, depression, anxiety, and other symptoms related to PSTD. It has since been shown to be effective with other adults and children dealing with other types of traumas, including natural disasters, rape, and loss of a loved one through death. It is equally effective with non-PTSD related issues such as depression, self-esteem, and phobias. It is also being used in medical settings for people with autoimmune disorder, severe headaches, and cancer.

When an experience is particularly traumatic, the brain does not process it like most experiences. It is almost as if someone has taken a snapshot of the event(s) and stored it in the brain so it is frozen in time, along with the intense emotions and beliefs that accompany any trauma. Thus, it often feels as if you are reliving or about to relive the experience any time you encounter something associated with it, whether through sight, sound, smell, touch, or taste. EMDR helps the brain to finish processing the event(s) so they become regular memories, which, while never pleasant, will not feel as intensely bas as before. The mechanism through which EMDR does this is similar to the one we experience naturally in dreaming, during rapid eye movement (REM) sleep. The specific and repetitive eye movements (or movement between the left an right parts of the brain if an auditory or touch variation is used) allow the memories to transform in to something you have control over, and not the other way around. You can also develop more relistic and less frightening beliefs through EMDR. I t is as if the snapshot becomes a movie that you can fast forward,d rewind, or turn off and put away for a while.

It is important for you to know that as part of the healing done with EMDR, painful feelings and memories you have forgotten (or not thought about for a long time) can come up. They will most likely be resolved as a part of the process. However, if you do not feel ready to deal with such memories or feelings, EMDR may be a treatment that would work better once you are in a stronger place. Your therapist will help you to deal with those memories and feeling if and when they come up. EMDR is intended to be a part of your entire therapy , and thus, you may be referred specifically to a certified EMDR therapist for that piece, and then return to you regular therapist for the other parts of your treatment (medication, talk therapy, etc.)

People who suffer from seizures should approach EMDR with caution, as the procedure can trigger them. Please address any questions you may have after reading this to your therapist and or the therapist who will be doing the EMDR with you.

Permission to reproduce by Susan Bumgardner, Ph.D.

Dr. Shapiro the Founder of EMDR Treatment Website

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