EMDR Therapy

Hello Dr Barbara Harris here to demystify EMDR for those who are curious, by providing a simple overview.

Unless you know someone who tried EMDR therapy or researched it the internet, it may seem a bit mysterious

So what is EMDR?

EMDR (Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing) is a psychotherapeutic treatment approach developed by Francine Shapiro, when she was studying to become a psychologist. One day, she was running through a park, and wasn’t feeling well, but she happened to notice that moving her eyes left to right seemed to reduce disturbing thoughts and feelings she was having at the time. She decided to experiment to see if this was a valid observation, first with herself, then with peers at the university, and eventually completed the research for her dissertation on the subject. 70 volunteers signed up, allowing her to fully develop the  protocols that formed the foundation for EMDR as we know it today. EMDR is currently recommended by the American Psychological Association, and by the US Department of Défense, as a suitable treatment for PTSD, and since 1989, when Francine completed and published her doctoral research on EMDR, this psychotherapy has in fact been developed further to address all sorts of mental health issues.

So what does EMDR involve?

EMDR is an 8 phase treatment which include the following:

1. History taking, screening, and treatment planning
2. Preparation – the client has an opportunity to learn about EMDR as a treatment, what the procedures are, what to expect during and after sessions, and also to learn techniques such as grounding, and relaxation, in order to ensure they have healthy ways to manage disturbing emotions or stress that may come up during or between sessions.
3. Assessment includes identifying target events or issues which will be addressed in treatment, as well as determining any negative cognitions or beliefs about yourself, desired positive beliefs, emotions and their intensity regarding the target, and associated body sensations.
4. Desensitization of the disturbing memory or issue using bi-lateral (left right) stimulation such as eye movements(visual), buzzers in the hands or tapping, bi-lateral sounds heard with earphones(auditory), or a light board. The purpose in this phase is to reduce the intensity of the disturbance.
5. Installation involves guiding the client, also with bilateral stimulation to replace negative beliefs, feelings, and sensations with positive ones.
6. Body scan is used to ensure any remnants of discomfort are removed, even when clients think of the negative event or issue.
7. Closure involves grounding or relaxation techniques, and discussion on what to be aware of after the session, as well as ways to monitor effects of treatment.
8. Reevaluation involves reassessing issues the client wanted to address, to ensure everything has been covered.

In the case of single incident trauma, this process can often move along fairly quickly whereas multiple or complex trauma, generally is a longer process. In either case the process needs to ensure client comfort, and it is also the case that some issues require more attention, as client progress may be affected by how long it takes that client to trust the process, and to develop the ability and confidence to proceed, as well as to learn the tools necessary to take care of themselves if anything comes up in between sessions.

A good therapist will work collaboratively with the client, at the pace that works best for that individual.

It’s helpful to actually keep a journal, so any insights, reflections, or concerns can be shared with the therapist, during treatment. It also helps the client to be able to notice the progress being made.

An excellent book for anyone wanting to learn about EMDR is called “Getting past your past” by Francine Shapiro. I highly recommend the book to anyone interested in EMDR, particularly because of all the wonderful people who kindly agreed to let their stories be told.

BENEFITS OF EMDR THERAPY OFTEN INCLUDE:

• Feeling better about yourself, as you gain knowledge and skills to understand and manage the challenges you face;
• Becoming more satisfied with life as you resolve past hurts, and improve or strengthen your relations with others;
• Overcoming unhealthy patterns of feeling, thinking or behaving which prevent you from reaching your life goals;
• Shifting from reacting to responding to situations in healthy ways,
• Improving self confidence; and
• Self awareness and personal growth.

WHEN IS EMDR recommended:

EMDR has become one of the most widely used and recognized treatments for PTSD, however, EMDR can be used to resolve symptoms related to many issues; for example:

• all forms of abuse in childhood or adulthood
• car accidents
• workplace, sports injuries or other physical trauma
• bullying and workplace injustices
• victims of crime
• war related trauma
• anxiety disorders
• low self esteem, self loathing
• grief and loss

Understanding EMDR Treatment for Trauma, Anxiety & Depression

EMDR COUNSELLING FOR PTSD

EMDR therapy for PTSD includes: assessment and history taking, setting treatment
goals, education on PTSD, development of skills to manage and mitigate your
symptoms, and, processing the traumatic events you experienced.

Understanding trauma includes learning about:

• what is trauma?
• symptoms of trauma
• trauma and the brain
• trauma recovery
• approaches to trauma therapy

For more information about PTSD click here.

EMDR Counselling for Depression

Overcoming depression is possible and also includes education, skill development, and
addressing underlying issues that caused the condition.

Understanding depression includes learning:

• what is depression?
• symptoms of depression
• treatment for depression

For more information about depression click here.

EMDR Counselling for Anxiety

Counselling can help! Recovering from anxiety includes: education, learning strategies
to cope with the anxiety, and to actually reduce the intensity of your anxiety, as well as
addressing underlying reasons for the anxiety.

Understanding anxiety includes learning about:

• what is generalized anxiety disorder?
• symptoms of anxiety
• treatment for anxiety

For more information about anxiety click here.