EMDR Therapy
What Is Eye Movement Desensitization And Reprocessing (EMDR) Therapy?
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) is a therapeutic modality used to heal trauma and release nervous system activation. EMDR rewires the brain’s stress response, allowing those who use it to access a greater sense of calm, emotion regulation, and wellbeing.
Originally developed as a treatment for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Dr. Francine Shapiro discovered the revolutionary healing qualities of EMDR as she experimented with eye movements and their correlation with her clients’ physical and emotional distress. Using side-to-side eye movements, auditory cues, or tapping—otherwise known as bilateral stimulation—EMDR clears trauma from where it is stored in the right side of the brain.
Since its founding in 1987, EMDR has become widely used among therapists across the globe and verified as an evidence-based trauma treatment by the American Psychiatric Association (APA) and a wide range of veteran-affiliated associations. Beyond its use in therapy for PTSD, EMDR can effectively target symptoms of anxiety, depression, and other mental health obstacles.
How Does EMDR Work?
EMDR sessions begin with identifying a target image or memory to resolve. Oftentimes, this is a traumatic or painful experience from our past that has perpetuated a negative belief about ourselves and kept us trapped in a cycle of distress. Once an EMDR therapist has assessed existing coping strategies and offered new resourcing skills, the treatment’s desensitization and reprocessing phase can begin.
Bilateral stimulation is the main characteristic of EMDR, as repeated eye movements, sounds, and tapping rewire the nervous system’s stress response at the neurobiological level in therapy. As the target image is focused on during the process of bilateral stimulation, the brain will tap into its innate healing qualities to neutralize the memory. With each repetition of the EMDR process, we will likely notice a substantial decrease in distress and discomfort when recalling traumatic or painful experiences.
Once the distress level has been brought down to zero, a therapist using EMDR will then work to install new, positive beliefs to replace the outdated, negative ones. The next phase of treatment involves “mental rehearsal,” in which we may envision ourselves overcoming future challenges—free from the heavy burden of self-doubt. In essence, EMDR allows us to reshape and follow individual threads of distress through the brain’s neural pathways until they are resolved, and we have reached a state of resiliency.
How Does EMDR Differ From Other Forms Of Therapy?
Unlike many approaches to therapy, EMDR reaches the subcortical regions of the brain, where trauma is stored. As a body-based approach, EMDR offers the unique opportunity to meaningfully integrate traumatic experiences.
Moreover, most conventional counseling approaches require verbal processing of a traumatic experience, which can be triggering and even re-traumatizing in some cases. EMDR and similar body-based techniques are gentler in that they do not require a verbal retelling of a traumatic experience. Furthermore, EMDR tends to be a relatively quick treatment approach, resolving core issues in as few as one to three sessions.
What Is The Difference Between EMDR And Brainspotting?
Not long after the discovery of EMDR, Dr. David Grand began experimenting with an offshoot of Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing therapy known as Brainspotting. Though related, these two modalities take different approaches; EMDR uses bilateral stimulation, while Brainspotting encourages clients to focus on relevant eye positions associated with distress while listening to bilateral music. Because Brainspotting appears to access the neural networks more specifically associated with distress, some people find Brainspotting to be gentler than EMDR. Nevertheless, both methods are exceptionally quick and effective in treating unresolved trauma and trauma-related issues.
As a therapist trained in both EMDR and Brainspotting, I aim to offer gentle, trauma-informed counseling services. Both of these modalities clear trapped stress from the nervous system, creating feelings of safety among my clients, offering a gateway to lasting healing.
The Role Of EMDR In My Therapeutic Approach
I started incorporating EMDR and Brainspotting into my practice as I observed their effectiveness in treating trauma-related issues. Using these modalities, my clients have reported feeling more relaxed and at peace in their bodies. Instead of feeling anxious or “keyed up,” they have developed more awareness around their triggers and an ability to effectively manage their stress response when activated. Able to let go of negative beliefs, clients using EMDR access inherent strengths and resources, empowering a worldview that allows them to shift their mindset for the better.
In addition to being trained in EMDR and Brainspotting, Internal Family Systems (IFS) is foundational to my approach as a therapist. IFS recognizes that certain “parts” of ourselves have been shut down or closed off due to emotional wounding, offering access to uncomfortable emotions that we may be avoiding. IFS can meaningfully lay the groundwork for exploring trauma in therapy using EMDR and Brainspotting, as well as being blended with these modalities.
I am also an attachment-focused therapist, meaning I seek to understand each client’s relational blueprint when determining the appropriate treatment approach. Because I specialize in working with family systems and parents of young children, EMDR and Brainspotting are safe, effective methods that can be used in treatment for clients of all ages and backgrounds.
No Matter How Complex Or Painful Your Trauma, There Is Hope For Healing
As a therapy approach that acknowledges the essential connection between mind and body, Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) can resolve emotional pain on a deep level. No longer held back by feelings of fear and inadequacy, clients who use EMDR in treatment have been able to take new control over their experiences and create the lives they want for themselves. You can be one of them by scheduling a free, 15-minute consultation to find out more about my approach to EMDR therapy.
