In the 1980s, Psychologist Francine Shapiro developed Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing therapy – also called EMDR therapy in short. Over the decades, it has become well-known and reliable for addressing Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). To this day, EMDR therapy still offers hope to those with PTSD worldwide by changing the way they recall the past. This, in turn, helps them focus more on building a resilient future.
What is Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) Therapy?
As a trauma-focused psychotherapy treatment, EMDR therapy addresses issues for those who have experienced severe stress or trauma. It combines elements from various treatment approaches with bilateral stimulation, like rapid eye movements. These help process distressing trauma memories and beliefs.
EMDR is about reliving the disturbing event and reprocessing the memory in a way that reduces its psychological impact – making it particularly effective for people who have PTSD.
This includes individuals who have experienced personal traumas such as assault or car accidents, as well as those affected by repeated exposure to trauma, such as veterans or first responders.
The 8 Phases of EMDR Therapy
You will have to go through 8 phases if you choose EMDR to treat PTSD. These phases will help you overcome the physical sensations, negative emotions, and upsetting memories you are reliving. Using the proper approach, a therapist can guide you to creating new thoughts and tackling one symptom at a time before the next session.
History and Treatment Planning
In the first phase, the therapist gathers detailed info about your history. They do this to understand the events that may affect your current stress. This phase focuses on your past experiences, current situations, and future potential stressors.
Using this detailed history, they can shape a treatment plan that specifically targets the traumatic memories with the most significant impact on your daily life.
Preparation
This phase aims to establish trust and explain the EMDR treatment process. Your therapist will make sure you are ready to handle distress. They will teach you specific techniques to stay calm during and between sessions.
This stage sets the groundwork for a therapeutic alliance. It ensures you understand the mechanics of EMDR, including the eye movements or other back-and-forth methods.
Assessment
During phase 3, you and your therapist identify the specific traumatic event to target with the therapy.
This includes choosing the most vivid visual image related to the memory, identifying the negative beliefs about yourself that resulted from the event, and formulating a positive belief you’d like to hold instead. Your feelings and bodily sensations related to this event are also explored and will be used later in therapy.
Desensitization
Phase 4 of EMDR therapy focuses on the traumatic memory. It also does EMDR processing with bilateral stimulation (eye movements, taps, or sounds). This process aims to decrease the emotional distress associated with the memory.
As you focus on the negative images and emotions, the therapist monitors your progress and continues until the distress is significantly reduced.
Installation
The goal of the installation phase is to strengthen the positive belief you want to have about yourself. While still using bilateral stimulation, your therapist helps you focus on reinforcing the positive belief until it feels completely true to you. This phase is crucial for cementing the changes made during the desensitization phase.
Body Scan
After addressing the mental aspects of the trauma, the body scan phase involves checking for any residual physical response while thinking about the traumatic event and the new positive belief. Any lingering physical tension is processed during this phase, ensuring the positive gains are embodied.
Closure
Closure ensures that you leave each session feeling better than when you started. If the targeted memory is not fully processed within a session, the therapist will guide you through self-calming exercises.
These techniques are part of the self-care toolkit developed in the preparation phase, intended to help you manage any unexpected responses after the session.
Reevaluation
At the beginning of subsequent sessions, your therapist revisits the processed memories to ensure that the positive results remain stable and to check the effectiveness of the treatment over time.
This phase helps to gauge the success of the therapy and to plan the next steps, whether it involves targeting new traumatic memories or reinforcing the positive outcomes of already processed ones.
Each phase of EMDR therapy involves treating trauma and empowering you with a new, resilient perspective on life. This 8-phase process ensures comprehensive care that addresses the full spectrum of your experiences and responses.
Benefits of Using EMDR Sessions for PTSD
EMDR therapy typically offers a unique approach to psychological healing, differentiating itself from traditional psychotherapeutic methods in several key ways:
Efficiency in Processing the Trauma
EMDR therapy focuses directly on processing traumatic memories quickly. It often gives faster results than talk therapy. This efficiency is crucial for those suffering from PTSD, as it can lead to faster relief from symptoms.
Minimal Verbal Detailing Required
Unlike traditional therapies that may involve extensive discussion of traumatic events, EMDR does not require you to verbalize details of the past trauma repeatedly. This can help reduce the stress and anxiety associated with recalling disturbing experiences.
Holistic Approach to Healing
EMDR works simultaneously on multiple levels—mental, emotional, and physical. This comprehensive approach helps move the intellectual understanding of trauma (e.g., guilt or fear from past events) toward emotional and physiological resolution.
By activating an innate healing response within the brain, EMDR helps diminish the troubling emotions and body sensations associated with PTSD, often leading to substantial improvements in overall well-being.
Reduced Need for Homework
Unlike some therapies that require extensive outside work like journaling or specific exercises where you are asked to think about what happened, EMDR typically involves less homework.
Patients might only need to note any significant thoughts or feelings that arise between sessions, focusing more on in-session work.
Safety and Tolerability
EMDR is generally considered a safe method of treatment with fewer side effects compared to other psychological therapies. It avoids the intensive reliving of trauma seen in some other forms of therapy, making the process less daunting and more tolerable for patients.
Effective and Evidence-Based
Many studies support EMDR as effective for treating PTSD and other trauma. International health organizations, including the World Health Organization, have endorsed it as a preferred treatment for trauma and PTSD based on its robustness and the positive results seen in clinical settings.
Faster Symptom Resolution
Patients undergoing EMDR often experience improvements more quickly than with traditional therapy. This fast progress can help those who have struggled with persistent PTSD symptoms – it helps them regain normalcy sooner.
Reduced Stress During Sessions
Since EMDR focuses more on emotional processing and less on recounting traumatic events, it can be less emotionally exhausting for patients. This aspect of EMDR is often highlighted as making it a less stressful therapeutic experience for people with PTSD.
Overall, EMDR offers a transformative approach to PTSD treatment, emphasizing quick and comprehensive healing without the need for deep and potentially distressing recall of traumatic events. This makes it a valuable tool used to treat trauma and its associated conditions.
Research on EMDR Therapy for Treating PTSD
The World Health Organization and the Department of Veterans Affairs endorse EMDR as a top treatment for trauma and PTSD. They recognize its capacity to reprocess traumatic memories into less distressing ones and help psychological healing.
EMDR has been shown to perform comparably to trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), a well-established treatment for PTSD. Both therapies have been effective in reducing the symptoms of PTSD. Still, EMDR often distinguishes itself by its speed and the minimal need for patients to talk about their traumas in therapy.
Research shows EMDR’s utility in treating many other psychological conditions, such as anxiety disorders, depression, and eating disorders too. This versatility suggests that EMDR’s benefits go beyond treating trauma. Like many therapies, experiences vary – but most agree that EMDR is a powerful tool for healing trauma.
What to Look for in an EMDR Therapist
Choosing the right EMDR therapist is crucial for effective treatment. This is especially true when dealing with complex trauma-related issues. Here are key factors to consider when choosing an EMDR therapist:
Certification and Training
Ensure that the therapist is not only trained in EMDR but also certified. A certified EMDR therapist has finished certain levels of training and has a lot of experience, usually doing at least 50 EMDR sessions. Certification also means the therapist is committed to ongoing education and stays updated with the latest in EMDR.
Experience with Specific Traumas
It’s important to find a therapist who has experience dealing with the type of trauma or psychological issues you are facing. Ask about their success rates with previous clients who had similar problems to yours. This can give you insight into their expertise and effectiveness in treating your condition.
Additional Therapeutic Skills
While EMDR is powerful for posttraumatic stress disorder, it may not suit every situation. Check if the therapist uses other therapeutic modalities that could complement or substitute EMDR when necessary. This flexibility can be crucial in handling various aspects of mental health care.
Handling Overwhelming Responses
Trauma therapy can be intense. If a session becomes too challenging, ask potential therapists about their approach to dealing with traumatic experiences. Knowing that your therapist has a plan to handle strong emotions can make therapy safer and more controlled.
Interpersonal Skills
The therapeutic relationship is foundational to successful therapy. Look for a patient, kind therapist. You should feel comfortable with them. They should make you feel understood and respected. This bond can greatly affect your comfort and willingness to do the deep work EMDR needs.
Questions to Ask About How EMDR Therapy Works
Some of the questions you can ask during your EMDR therapy sessions include:
- What is your training and experience with EMDR?
- How do you stay current with EMDR techniques and protocols?
- How many clients with my specific issues have you treated successfully?
- What alternative therapies do you practice if EMDR is not suitable?
- What strategies do you employ if I find myself overwhelmed during a session?
Finding the right EMDR therapist is about finding someone who can help you heal well. Consider these factors. to choose a therapist that can provide the support needed for a successful EMDR treatment of PTSD.
EMDR Can Help with PTSD – Discover Relief at Luxe Recovery
At Luxe Recovery, we understand the profound impact of PTSD and the importance of effective treatment. Our EMDR therapy directly targets and alters the way traumatic memories are stored in the brain. This diminishes distressing symptoms and fosters a path toward all-around healing.
Our facility has a team of expert therapists who focus on dual diagnosis and trauma. Our serene environment contains private rooms and tech-friendly amenities, complementing our many therapeutic options, like yoga and boxing. We also offer wellness treatments, such as acupuncture and massage.
If you or a loved one are struggling with PTSD and looking for a treatment that goes beyond traditional methods, consider Luxe Recovery – our EMDR therapy is designed to heal the mind, body, and spirit.
Contact us today to start your journey to recovery in a place that offers comfort, luxury, and excellent care.
