EMDR Explained by a Trauma Therapist

What is EMDR?

You’ve probably heard of EMDR by now. EMDR is a fairly new type of therapy that is rapidly gaining popularity. And for good reason. EMDR enables individuals to heal symptoms of emotional distress that result from disturbing life experiences. 

EMDR is an acronym used for Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing. It is considered gold-standard treatment for trauma therapy. EMDR is an integrative psychotherapy approach in that it includes a set of standardized protocols that incorporates elements from many different treatment approaches. And it has a strong evidence base. 

Why is EMDR considered the gold-standard for treatment for trauma?

EMDR has been clinically validated by over thirty randomized, controlled studies. This is considered the gold standard for clinical studies. In short, EMDR has been extensively researched and proven effective for the treatment of trauma.

According to Francine Shapiro, “Seven of 10 studies reported EMDR therapy to be more rapid and/or more effective than trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy.” 

EMDR has already relieved psychological trauma for millions of people. 

How is EMDR different than other types of therapy?

Your EMDR therapist will use a highly specific, eight-phase approach composed of standardized protocols and procedures. The initial stages such as history taking, preparation, and assessment will look and feel very similar to regular talk therapy. When you and your therapist have arrived at phase four, desensitization, you will then be prompted to share with your therapist what you are thinking, feeling, and experiencing in your body while engaging in rapid eye movements.

Depending on your therapist, the EMDR process may be more structured than regular talk therapy. The structured, therapist-led process often comes as a relief to those who have already been in therapy for extended periods of time without having experienced much progress. And because life happens in the course of EMDR, your therapist may be willing to remain flexible enough in the process to triage any current issues that may arise in your life. 

Mend Modern Therapy is committed to providing EDMR from a flexible and relational approach to fit the needs of each individual client.  

Why use rapid eye movements?

According to the International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies (ISTSS), a recent meta-analysis of 26 randomized controlled trails has confirmed the positive effects of the use of rapid eye movements in EMDR. These positive effects include “rapid decreases in emotional disturbance and imagery vividness (ISTSS).” The ISTSS also points to ten other randomized controlled trials that demonstrate rapid eye movements help improve flexibility of attention, true information recognition, and ability to retrieve episodic memory. 

EMDR therapists often see corrective information spontaneously generated during the rapid eye movement phase of EMDR. A couple of research supported hypotheses for the efficacy of eye movements are that the eye movements initiate the processing of memories similar to REM sleep and that they help to tax working memory (ISTSS). 

Is EMDR right for me?

EMDR is a great fit for those who would like to process through past hurt to find present healing. If your level of distress or daily functioning is impacted by negative life events or trauma, EMDR may be a good fit for you.

For example, if you grew up in an environment with abuse or neglect, you may now have difficulties in your current romantic relationships that stem from that childhood trauma. EMDR could allow you to process your previous trauma in a way that decreases your current anxiety or avoidance in relationships. 

Here’s another example. Perhaps you were in a car accident that led to anxiety or panic attacks when driving or when you’re the passenger in a motor vehicle.  EMDR could allow your brain and body to to process through the car accident in an adaptive way. You could then get back to driving or riding in a car with significantly less anxiety. 

Furthermore, EMDR may be a good fit for you if you have been in therapy for a while and feel stuck in your progress. EMDR is known to be helpful for the negative cognitions associated with trauma, PTSD, anxiety, depression, phobias, grief, loss, betrayal, and more. EMDR may be helpful for anything that you believe has not been resolved with regular talk therapy. 

How many sessions will EMDR take?

It depends. There really isn’t a way to accurately predict how many sessions you will need as the length of EMDR varies by each individual and their presenting concern. It’s important to remember that EMDR consists of eight phases. Many individuals assume that they’re only doing EMDR when the rapid eye movement phase starts. However, the first phase of EMDR begins with your first session.

What should I expect in an EMDR session?

You and your therapist will work collaboratively to identify your current concerns and their precipitating factors. Your therapist may guide the session while probing you on thoughts, feelings, and experiences you are having. In phase four, where the rapid eye movements are utilized, your therapist will provide further instructions for you.

If engaging in virtual EMDR, your therapist may ask you to cross your arms over your chest and tap on your shoulders. Your therapist will be following a specific protocol. Your only job is to share what you are experiencing in the moment while your brain does all the healing. 

It’s important to remember that your therapist is not waving a magic EMDR wand in front of you or even hypnotizing you. You and your therapist are allowing space for your brain to do it’s own healing. 

It’s not magic. It’s science.