What is EMDR?
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) accesses the natural brain mechanisms for processing experiences. When people have a traumatic experience, their brain does not process information as it does ordinarily. These memories have a lasting negative effect on how you see yourself, the world, and how you relate to others.
EMDR therapy looks at the memory networks that seem to be driving current symptoms and distress. Once those memory networks have been identified, the information held in these networks, including distressing images, beliefs, emotions, and physical sensations, is stimulated through the brain’s own information processing system. The distressing memory can then link up to other adaptive memory networks and become integrated without the previously held level of distress.
As these memories move to adaptive resolution, there is a healthier response to current life stressors and a greater sense of safety, belonging, and self-worth in relationships. EMDR therapy allows one to “rewire the brain” and to let go of past emotional, behavioral, and inner negative belief patterns and to yield lasting transformational change.
EMDR is an eight-phase protocol, which includes history-taking and preparation phases. The preparation phase may include mindfulness, resourcing, and teaching coping skills. Your therapist is trained to determine what preparation phase work will be most beneficial for you and the pace that is right for your system.
One advantage of EMDR therapy is that it may allow clients to resolve trauma more efficiently than other modalities. There are many factors that contribute to the number of sessions needed for resolution, including the extent and nature of trauma, access to positive and adaptive memory networks, level of internal and external resources, and resiliency. While EMDR therapy can resolve traumatic memories rapidly, it is difficult to assess how many sessions may be needed.