EMDR Treatment: What is it?
Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing (EMDR) therapy is recognized as an effective form of trauma treatment in numerous practice guidelines worldwide. It can be used for a wide range of distressing conditions that interfere with a person’s optimal level of functioning. It is not only major traumatic events that can cause psychological disturbance. Sometimes a relatively minor event from childhood, such as being teased by one’s peers or disparaged by one’s parent, may not be adequately processed and can result in personality problems and become the basis of current dysfunctional reactions.
How Does EMDR Work?
This comprehensive, integrative psychotherapy approach is designed to target past experiences, identify current situations that trigger emotions, beliefs and sensations that illicit troubling reactions, and can be used with all ages. In EMDR therapy, the emphasis is on allowing the information processing system of the brain to make the internal connections needed to resolve the disturbance.
The therapist works gently with the client and asks him/her to revisit the traumatic moment or incident, recalling feelings surrounding the experience, as well as any negative thoughts, feelings and memories. The therapist then begins what is referred to as “bilateral stimulation” with the assistance of either a handle held tactile device that alternately vibrates, a light bar, or auditory device that alternately beeps, to promote the brain’s reprocessing of the experience. The more intensely the client focuses on the memory, the easier it becomes for the memory to come to life. As quick and vibrant images arise during the therapy session, they are processed by the eye movements, resulting in painful feelings being exchanged for more peaceful, loving and resolved feelings. The results include the alleviation of presenting symptoms, a decrease or elimination of distress from the disturbing memory, improved view of the self, relief from bodily disturbance, and resolution of present and future anticipated triggers.
How Long Does EMDR Last?
One or more sessions are required for the therapist to understand the nature of the problem and to determine whether EMDR is an appropriate treatment. The therapist will also discuss EMDR more fully and provide an opportunity to answer any questions about the method. Once the therapist and client have agreed that EMDR is appropriate for a specific problem, the actual EMDR therapy can begin.
A typical EMDR session lasts 50-80 minutes. The type of problem, life circumstances, and the amount of previous trauma will determine how many sessions are necessary. A single session of EMDR is sufficient in some cases. But a typical course of treatment is 3 to 10 sessions, performed either weekly or every other week. EMDR may be used within standard "talk" therapy, as an adjunctive therapy with a separate therapist, or as a treatment all by itself.
This comprehensive, integrative psychotherapy approach is designed to target past experiences, identify current situations that trigger emotions, beliefs and sensations that illicit troubling reactions, and can be used with all ages. In EMDR therapy, the emphasis is on allowing the information processing system of the brain to make the internal connections needed to resolve the disturbance.
The therapist works gently with the client and asks him/her to revisit the traumatic moment or incident, recalling feelings surrounding the experience, as well as any negative thoughts, feelings and memories. The therapist then begins what is referred to as “bilateral stimulation” with the assistance of either a handle held tactile device that alternately vibrates, a light bar, or auditory device that alternately beeps, to promote the brain’s reprocessing of the experience. The more intensely the client focuses on the memory, the easier it becomes for the memory to come to life. As quick and vibrant images arise during the therapy session, they are processed by the eye movements, resulting in painful feelings being exchanged for more peaceful, loving and resolved feelings. The results include the alleviation of presenting symptoms, a decrease or elimination of distress from the disturbing memory, improved view of the self, relief from bodily disturbance, and resolution of present and future anticipated triggers.
How Long Does EMDR Last?
One or more sessions are required for the therapist to understand the nature of the problem and to determine whether EMDR is an appropriate treatment. The therapist will also discuss EMDR more fully and provide an opportunity to answer any questions about the method. Once the therapist and client have agreed that EMDR is appropriate for a specific problem, the actual EMDR therapy can begin.
A typical EMDR session lasts 50-80 minutes. The type of problem, life circumstances, and the amount of previous trauma will determine how many sessions are necessary. A single session of EMDR is sufficient in some cases. But a typical course of treatment is 3 to 10 sessions, performed either weekly or every other week. EMDR may be used within standard "talk" therapy, as an adjunctive therapy with a separate therapist, or as a treatment all by itself.