An Introduction to EMDR: Understanding Its Benefits for Trauma Healing- Kennidy Souza LPCC
Developed in 1987 by Dr. Francine Shapiro, Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) is a structured, therapeutic treatment designed to alleviate distress related to disturbing life experiences. In this post we will take a brief overview of EMDR, how it works, and the benefits of this treatment.
What is EMDR?
Most of the time, our brains are able to manage and process information as it is received. However, when we experience something unexpected, overwhelming, and/or disturbing, our brains are not always adequately able to process this information. This often contributes to physiological and psychological distress when confronted with cues or aspects that remind us of those painful experiences, as well as negative beliefs about ourselves, others, and the world. Research has shown that EMDR allows clients to reprocess these experiences, leading to adaptive beliefs, reduced distress, and new cognitive insights.
In EMDR, the therapist will guide the client in bilateral stimulation as the client attends to these distressing life experiences. Bilateral stimulation refers to stimuli (e.g. visual, auditory, or tactile) that alternates rhythmically in a lateral (left-right) pattern. Although bilateral stimulation commonly refers to eye movements, it may also include alternating sounds or tapping techniques. At Beyond the Storm, our EMDR-trained therapists will help you figure out a method of bilateral stimulation that works best for you.
The EMDR Process
EMDR is a structured therapy that consists of eight phases:
Client History. A licensed therapist will work with you to complete a comprehensive diagnostic assessment to gain insight and understanding into your personal history, current issues, and how they have impacted you.
Preparation. Your therapist will provide you with additional education about EMDR, answer any questions and address any concerns that you may have about the process, identify preferred forms of bilateral stimulation, and develop strategies and skills to support your safety and well-being during, between, and after EMDR sessions.
Assessment. In this phase, you and your therapist will work together to identify target memories for reprocessing that will be the focus of your treatment. You may describe images, emotions, and physical sensations associated with this memory or incident. With the support of your therapist, you will identify negative beliefs and establish positive beliefs to replace them, as well as identify baseline measures for distress using the Subjective Units of Disturbance scale and validity of positive beliefs with the Validity of Cognition scale.
Desensitization. At the beginning of the reprocessing phase, which involves the use of bilateral stimulation, you will attend to the target memory or incident as your therapist guides you through your preferred form of bilateral stimulation. When bilateral stimulation stops, you will have an opportunity to share with your therapist what you are noticing, including thoughts, feelings, and sensations experienced during and after reprocessing. Ultimately, the goal of this stage is to lower your level of distress, as measured by the Subjective Unit of Disturbance scale.
Installation. Once distress has been lowered to as low as possible, the next step is to replace the negative belief with the positive belief identified during the assessment phase. Aptly named, you will work to “install” this belief by holding the positive belief together with the target memory in order to work towards acceptance of this belief. Your therapist will periodically check in to assess the Validity of Cognition in order to ensure that the belief has been fully installed before moving onto the next phase.
Body Scan. While holding the positive belief together with the target memory, you will then be encouraged to scan your body from head to toe for any residual distress. The purpose of this stage is to ensure that there is no lingering discomfort, and if there is, continuing to process traumatic memories using bilateral stimulation until these sensations are no longer present.
Closure. At the end of every session, or when you’ve successfully completed phases 3-6, your therapist will use resources discussed during the preparation phase to help you achieve a state of calm and safety. This might mean collaborating together to create a safety plan to keep you safe between sessions. If you are still new to EMDR, your therapist may also provide you with additional information about the continued impact of reprocessing between sessions.
Re-evaluation. When you return to therapy after an EMDR session, your therapist will check-in on your progress between sessions. There’s always the possibility that something might have come up during the week that may have added to distress, after all. Your therapist will assess whether or not reprocessing for that target memory was fully complete. If there is any distress that popped up between sessions, then there’s a pretty good chance something was missed! On the other hand, it’s also a great way to check in on your progress.
These phases are not usually completed in the span of one session, and time spent on each phase varies from person-to-person. Especially during the reprocessing phases (3-6), you may spend the entirety of one session on one just phase. Some target memories may take several sessions to fully reprocess, while other memories may be completely reprocessed in under one session. It is important to remember that there is no timeline for healing, and everyone’s progress looks different. Depending on your needs, you may not always be able to start reprocessing right away. One of the most important parts of EMDR is ensuring that you have resources and strategies needed to manage and alleviate any distress that may come as a result of reprocessing.
Benefits of EMDR
Some of the benefits to participation in EMDR include:
Resolved trauma
Additional coping skills
Reduced distress
Greater insight and understanding
Improved mood
Enhanced self-esteem
How Do I Know When I’m Ready?
At Beyond the Storm, you and your therapist will work together to determine if EMDR is an appropriate intervention for you. Generally, EMDR is not recommended for those who are actively experiencing trauma or high-stress situations. Additionally, it’s absolutely necessary to have healthy coping strategies to help manage distress experienced between sessions. Even if you are not jumping into reprocessing right away, a lot of the work that you will do in therapy can be classified under phases 1 and 2 of EMDR treatment. Everyone has unique needs, concerns and symptoms, and so your healing journey will be equally unique.
If you are interested in individual counseling and EMDR therapy, please visit www.beyondthestormcounseling.com for more information.
