The mind can often heal itself naturally, in the same way as the body does. Much of this natural coping mechanism occurs during sleep, particularly during rapid eye movement (REM) sleep. Francine Shapiro developed Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing (EMDR) in 1987, utilising this natural process in order to successfully treat Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Since then, EMDR has been used to effectively treat a wide range of mental health problems.

How Does EMDR Work?

No one knows how any form of psychotherapy works neurobiologically or in the brain. However, we do know that when a person is very upset, their brain cannot process information as it does ordinarily. One moment becomes “frozen in time,” and remembering a trauma may feel as bad as going through it the first time because the images, sounds, smells, and feelings haven’t changed. Such memories have a lasting negative effect that interferes with the way a person sees the world and the way they relate to other people.

EMDR seems to have a direct effect on the way that the brain processes information. Normal information processing is resumed, so following a successful EMDR session, a person no longer relives the images, sounds, and feelings when the event is brought to mind. You still remember what happened, but it is less upsetting. Many types of therapy have similar goals. However, EMDR appears to be similar to what occurs naturally during dreaming or REM (rapid eye movement) sleep. Therefore, EMDR can be thought of as a physiologically based therapy that helps a person see disturbing material in a new and less distressing way.

Bilateral physical stimulation appears to tax working memory and to stimulate the orienting response. Bilateral physical stimulation also appears to facilitate the rapid reprocessing of information, as what might occur naturally during the Rapid Eye Movement (REM) phase of sleep. One theory of the mechanism of change in EMDR therapy proposes that by focusing attention on the key elements of a disturbing memory whilst engaging in bilateral physical stimulation (particularly eye movements) and stimulating the orienting response, traumatic episodic memories are reconsolidated as semantic or narrative memory.

The aim of EMDR therapy therefore is to replace the perpetual re-experiencing of traumatic events with a ‘learning experience’ that becomes a source of resilience. Divested of their affective load, traumatic memories are contextualized and reconsolidated as semantic memory, and become part of a client’s life narrative. Desensitisation and adaptive resolution are experienced as outcomes of this reprocessing and reconsolidation process.

There are now numerous randomised controlled trials and several robust systematic literature reviews that demonstrate the clinical efficacy of EMDR therapy and the positive effects of eye movements in the treatment of trauma and providing symptom relief and it is now included as a recommended treatment within several international treatment guidelines.

 

.embed-container { position: relative; padding-bottom: 30.25%; height: 0; overflow: hidden; max-width: 80%; } .embed-container iframe, .embed-container object, .embed-container embed { position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 80%; height: 100%; }

 

What Is An EMDR Session Like?

EMDR utilises the natural healing ability of your body. After a thorough assessment, you will be asked specific questions about a particular disturbing memory. Eye movements, similar to those during REM sleep, will be recreated simply by asking you to watch the therapist’s finger moving backwards and forwards across your visual field. Sometimes, a bar of moving lights or headphones is used instead. The eye movements will last for a short while and then stop. You will then be asked to report back on the experiences you have had during each of these sets of eye movements. Experiences during a session may include changes in thoughts, images and feelings.
With repeated sets of eye movements, the memory tends to change in such a way that it loses its painful intensity and simply becomes a neutral memory of an event in the past. Other associated memories may also heal at the same time. This linking of related memories can lead to a dramatic and rapid improvement in many aspects of your life.

Can anyone benefit from EMDR?

EMDR can accelerate therapy by resolving the impact of your past traumas and allowing you to live more fully in the present. It is not, however, appropriate for everyone. The process is rapid, and any disturbing experiences, if they occur at all, last for a comparatively short period of time. Nevertheless, you need to be aware of, and willing to experience, the strong feelings and disturbing thoughts, which sometimes occur during sessions.

How long does treatment take?

EMDR can be brief focused treatment or part of a longer psychotherapy programme. EMDR sessions can be for 50 to 80 minutes.

Will I will remain in control and empowered?

During EMDR treatment, you will remain in control, fully alert and wide-awake. This is not a form of hypnosis and you can stop the process at any time. Throughout the session, the therapist will support and facilitate your own self-healing and intervene as little as possible. Reprocessing is usually experienced as something that happens spontaneously, and new connections and insights are felt to arise quite naturally from within. As a result, most people experience EMDR as being a natural and very empowering therapy.

What evidence is there that EMDR is a successful treatment?

EMDR is an innovative clinical treatment which has successfully helped over a million individuals. The validity and reliability of EMDR has been established by rigorous research. There are now nineteen controlled studies into EMDR making it the most thoroughly researched method used in the treatment of trauma, (Details on www.emdr-europe.org and www.emdr.org) and is recommended by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) as an effective treatment for PTSD. Adapted from www.thetraumacentre.com. If you feel haunted by emotionally distressing memories or feel like you re-experience old memories in you everyday life that make it hard to function or maintain relationships contact Solana Psychology now to make an appointment to see one of our trained EMDR practitioners.