What is EMDR?
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) is a therapeutic modality that allows people to properly process traumatic events and/or experiences. During trauma, our bodies’ fight or flight response can lead to trauma being ineffectively processed which, in turn, can result in PTSD, depression, anxiety, and other trauma responses.
EMDR is a form of exposure therapy, as it essentially unlocks the memory that was improperly processed and allows for a more holistic re-integration. When we get a deep cut on our arm, for example, if the cut isn’t properly cleaned and tended to, this cut may become infected and painful to touch or even to look at. To alleviate the pain, the wound may need to be re-opened and tended to so that it may heal properly. Essentially, the wound is the trauma, and EMDR is the process of cleaning and healing the wound.
EMDR often brings up a lot of emotions and sensations for clients - and this is expected. Since it is such an experiential, mind-body-oriented process, however, it can look different for each person. Finally, EMDR is less focused on the trauma narrative, and more focused on how this narrative is affecting us mentally, physically, and emotionally.
How does EMDR Work?
EMDR essentially works because of bilateral stimulation. Bilateral stimulation when both hemispheres of the brain are activated and can interact with each other. By allowing the brain’s two hemispheres to communicate with one another, improperly processed memories are given the opportunity to re-process and more properly integrate themselves within the memory network. The most commonly known method for administering bilateral stimulation is leading people in different eye movements at various durations and speeds. However, eye movements aren’t the only route to bilateral stimulation. The therapist typically works with the client to find a comfortable method of applying a type of bilateral stimulation that resonates with them. This may include auditory stimulation, soft buzzing elicited through small hand-held devices, and tapping of the arms or legs, to name a few.
In an EMDR session, the therapist guides the client in the process of bilateral stimulation while the client thinks about a specific memory and allows their mind to freely associate, thus beginning the journey of re-processing and integration. The therapist and client work together to name the negative thoughts and feelings associated with the memory. Through the EMDR process, the memory slowly becomes less charged with those negative thoughts and feelings. EMDR is not about “erasing” a trauma but rather is about effectively reprocessing it in a way that makes sense to the individual, taking the power away from the aversive experience(s) and putting the client back in the driver’s seat of life.
Who can EMDR help?
EMDR was initially utilized for war veterans struggling with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, but more recent research indicates that EMDR can be helpful for a myriad of presenting problems, including single incident trauma, complex trauma, anxiety, depression, phobias, and more. Ultimately, we all have memories and/or experiences that may be tender and impacting our lives in adverse ways. By helping us create conversation between both hemispheres of our brain as we reprocess trauma, EMDR helps us find the space to be curious about the emotions we have wrapped up within our experiences, and how they may or may not be serving us.