Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR)
EMDR
EMDR… I bet you scratch your head when you think of that acronym. It sounds familiar, right? That’s because it is! Let me tell you why as you embark on your journey in finding treatment for your linkage of trauma(s).
P.S. It’s also an evidence based practice, meaning science backs the model! Trust me when I tell you that EMDR really works! You got this.
History
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) was developed in 1987 to help treat posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) by a woman named Francine Shapiro. Shapiro used a self-developed model called, “The Adaptive Information Processing” it supports the idea that; “symptoms of PTSD and other disorders result from past disturbing experiences that continue to cause distress because the memory was not adequately processed” (American Psychological Association, 2017).
EMDR is becoming more popular and well known as a trauma processing therapy.
In short, EMDR has phases to help set the stage for effective treatment. The stages are listed below to help you better understand the foundation of the treatment planning done by the therapist as they work with you in managing your trauma(s).
The Phases of EMDR (American Psychological Association, 2017)
Phase 1: History-taking
Phase 2: Preparing the client
Phase 3: Assessing the target memory
Phase 4-7: Processing the memory to adaptive resolution
Phase 8: Evaluating treatment results
Additionally, “Unlike other treatments that focus on directly altering the emotions, thoughts and responses resulting from traumatic experiences, EMDR therapy focuses directly on the memory, and is intended to change the way that the memory is stored in the brain, thus reducing and eliminating the problematic symptoms” (American Psychological Association, 2017). EMDR has been proven to be successful in treating a variety of diagnoses in mental health.
Written by: Julia Briggs
If you feel that you are interested in learning more about EMDR,
I have included the following resources below for extra self-learning:
Book: Shapiro, F., & Forrest, M. S. (2016). EMDR: The breakthrough therapy for overcoming anxiety, stress, and trauma. Hachette UK
Or, if you are feeling ready to dive in headfirst and see if EMDR is right for you,
please call Walls Counseling at 719-362-0558 to schedule an appointment with a therapist who is trained in EMDR.
Citations:
American Psychological Association. (2017, May). Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) Therapy. American Psychological Association. https://www.apa.org/ptsd-guideline/treatments/eye-movement-reprocessing
For photo entry: Curious If EMDR Is An Effective Form Of Therapy? Here’s What To Know. (2020, March 3). HuffPost. https://www.huffpost.com/entry/emdr-therapy-trauma_l_5e56cb98c5b68f79fdc43ae2