What is EMDR and is it for me?
EMDR stands for Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing. It’s a type of therapy that helps people process and heal from difficult experiences or traumas that are still affecting them. Sometimes, when something upsetting or traumatic happens, our brains don’t fully process the experience. It’s like the memory gets “stuck,” and whenever something reminds us of it, we can feel like we’re reliving the event, experiencing the same emotions, body sensations, or negative thoughts.
EMDR helps “unstick” these memories so they can be processed in a healthier way. It does this by having you focus on the memory while doing something called bilateral stimulation—usually following the therapist’s fingers as they move back and forth with your eyes or sometimes using sounds or taps that alternate from one side of your body to the other. This back-and-forth movement seems to help your brain process the memory in a way that lets it become less intense and disturbing.
Over time, the goal is for the memory to just feel like something that happened in the past without all the emotional charge it once had. People often find that they can think about the event without feeling as upset or stuck, and they’re able to move forward in their lives.
EMDR can help with a variety of issues, especially those connected to difficult or traumatic experiences. Here are some of the main things it’s often used for:
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) – It’s widely known for helping people who’ve been through traumatic events, like accidents, abuse, violence, or military combat. It helps reduce flashbacks, nightmares, and intense emotional reactions linked to those memories.
Anxiety and Panic Attacks – EMDR can target the underlying experiences or beliefs that contribute to anxiety, helping reduce panic and anxious thoughts.
Depression – Sometimes unresolved experiences or negative beliefs about oneself contribute to depression. EMDR helps reprocess these to reduce their emotional impact.
Grief and Loss – It can help people process complex grief or loss, especially if they feel “stuck” in their mourning or are overwhelmed by guilt or other emotions.
Phobias – By addressing the root experiences that triggered the phobia, EMDR can help lessen the fear response.
Chronic Pain and Illness – In some cases, physical pain is linked to emotional stress or trauma. EMDR can help reduce pain perception by addressing these emotional components.
Addictions and Substance Abuse – It can help people understand and resolve the experiences or emotional pain that contribute to addictive behaviors.
Self-Esteem and Negative Beliefs – EMDR can help shift deep-seated negative beliefs about oneself, like feeling unworthy or powerless, that might stem from past experiences.
Performance Anxiety – Whether it’s related to sports, public speaking, or work, EMDR can help reduce anxiety and improve confidence by processing past experiences that fuel performance fears.
It’s quite a versatile therapy, and the reason it can help with so many different issues is that it focuses on reprocessing the experiences or beliefs underlying the symptoms, not just the symptoms themselves.
Here are some things to consider:
1. Your Experiences and Symptoms
EMDR is particularly helpful if you’re dealing with symptoms related to past experiences, such as:
Intrusive memories, flashbacks, or nightmares about something that happened.
Feeling emotionally “stuck” or triggered by certain reminders.
Anxiety, panic attacks, or fears that seem linked to past events.
Negative self-beliefs, like feeling unworthy or powerless, that you suspect are connected to earlier experiences.
2. Trying Other Therapies
If you’ve tried other types of therapy (like talk therapy or CBT) and felt like you were just talking about the problem without fully processing it, EMDR might help you work through it on a deeper level.
3. Readiness to Process Memories
EMDR involves revisiting memories that might be painful or upsetting, but in a controlled, safe way. It’s important to feel ready—or at least open—to facing and processing these memories. A trained therapist will make sure you feel safe and grounded before diving into the harder parts.
4. Working with a Trained Therapist
The success of EMDR often depends on working with a therapist who’s specifically trained and experienced in EMDR. They’ll assess your situation, help you prepare, and guide you through the process.
5. Consultation and Evaluation
The best way to know for sure is to have an initial consultation with an EMDR therapist. They can evaluate your symptoms and history to see if EMDR is a good match for you.
During an EMDR session, you can expect the following steps:
1. History and Preparation
In the first few sessions, the therapist will get to know you, your history, and what you want to work on. They’ll help you identify specific memories or experiences that are linked to the issues you’re facing. They’ll also teach you some coping skills to help you stay grounded and safe during the process, like deep breathing or visualization techniques.
2. Targeting a Memory
Once you’re ready to begin EMDR, you’ll focus on a specific memory. The therapist will guide you to identify:
The image or part of the memory that feels most distressing.
Negative beliefs about yourself linked to the memory (e.g., “I’m powerless” or “I’m not safe”).
Positive beliefs you’d like to have instead (e.g., “I am in control now” or “I am safe”).
Emotions and body sensations connected to the memory.
3. Bilateral Stimulation
This is the core of EMDR. The therapist will use something that stimulates both sides of your brain alternately, such as:
Eye movements – You follow the therapist’s fingers moving back and forth with your eyes.
Tapping – The therapist might tap on your hands or shoulders, or you can tap on yourself.
Sounds – You might listen to alternating tones through headphones.
4. Processing the Memory
While focusing on the memory and using bilateral stimulation, you’ll notice whatever comes up—thoughts, feelings, images, or body sensations. You don’t have to analyze or explain them; just notice them. The therapist will pause periodically and ask what you’re noticing. Then, they’ll guide you to continue focusing until the memory feels less distressing.
5. Installing Positive Beliefs
Once the memory feels less intense, the therapist will help you focus on the positive belief you want to associate with it (e.g., “I am safe now”) and use bilateral stimulation to “install” that belief, helping it feel more true and real.
6. Body Scan
You’ll then do a body scan to see if any tension or discomfort remains related to the memory. If it does, the therapist will help you process it.
7. Closure and Grounding
Each session ends with grounding techniques to make sure you feel safe and stable before leaving. If the memory wasn’t fully processed in one session, the therapist will make sure it’s safely “contained” until the next session.
8. Between Sessions
You might have new insights, emotions, or dreams between sessions as your brain continues processing. The therapist will give you tools to manage this and might ask you to keep a journal.
How Long Does EMDR Take?
The length of EMDR therapy can vary depending on the person and the issues they’re working on. Here’s a general idea:
Number of Sessions: Some people feel significant relief in just a few sessions, especially if they’re working on a single event or trauma. However, for more complex issues—like repeated trauma, long-term anxiety, or deeply rooted negative beliefs—it can take several months or more.
Session Length: Sessions are usually about 60-90 minutes each. This gives enough time to process memories and do grounding work to end the session safely.
Phases of EMDR: EMDR has 8 phases, starting with history-taking and preparation, and moving through memory processing and closure. It’s not just about processing memories but also about preparing and building coping skills.
What Does It Feel Like?
The experience of EMDR is different for everyone, but here’s what many people report:
During the Session: You might notice images, thoughts, emotions, or even body sensations related to the memory. Some people feel intense emotions, while others feel detached, like they’re watching the memory from a distance. You don’t lose control—you’re fully aware of where you are and what’s happening.
After the Session: It’s normal to feel tired or emotionally drained, but some people also feel relief or a sense of resolution. It’s possible to have vivid dreams or new insights as your brain continues processing.
Long-Term Effects: Over time, the memory often feels less intense or upsetting. You’ll remember the event, but it won’t carry the same emotional charge. People often report feeling more empowered and less “stuck.”
Please contact us if you have questions or would like to explore EMDR treatment.
