EMDR
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing
EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) was developed by Francine Shapiro and has been recommended by WHO (World Health Organization) and the APA (American Psychiatric Association) as an effective treatment for trauma. It is a type of therapy that supports the brain as it heals from symptoms and emotional distress as a result from disturbing life experiences. Often times our brain needs help in removing blocks that are not allowing the healing to take place.
EMDR can help the brain reorganize the distressing event and understand it more fully.
For a more detailed explanation please head over to EMDR.com
Changing the memories that form the way we see ourselves also changes the way we view others. Therefore, our relationships, job performance, what we are willing to do or are able to resist, all move in a positive direction. ” — Francine Shapiro
What does EMDR Look like in Session?
We will walk through the eight phases of EMDR which will help you reconnect to images, thoughts, self-talk, emotions, and body sensations associated with the trauma or distressing event. These phases provide a measured approach to dealing with the places where you feel stuck in your life.
The Eight Phases of EMDR
1. Client History: This is where we will take a look at your life and identify the events that have impacted you. We will also check in to see if you’re ready for EMDR therapy.
2. Preparation: We will work on helping you to develop tools to manage the feelings and sensations that may come up for you as we begin to process distressing and traumatic events. This is also the phase where you’ll learn skills to help you stay present as we talk about the past.
3. Assessment: After looking at your history and developing coping skills we will choose an event that you’d like to target with EMDR and see how it’s sitting with you in your body and mind.
4. Desensitization: This is the phase where we use bilateral stimulation to help process the event. We will do a set of movements, take a break to check-in, continue the bilateral stimulation and repeat as needed.
5. Installation: After processing and getting to a place where the event isn’t causing distress, we will work on changing the narrative around the event. This is where we will instill a positive belief around the event (not trying to change that what happened was painful, but what you’d want to believe about yourself around that event, etc).
6. Body Scan: We will do a body scan to see if there is anything lingering from the what happened that may be stuck in the body. This is how we check in and make sure nothing is being stored in the body from the traumatic event.
7. Closure: At the end of each session we will close with helping you ground and come fully back to the present. This is a great time to practice the coping skills you’ve developed so far.
8. Reevaluation: At the beginning of each session after EMDR we will check in and notice if there’s been any changes since your last session. This helps us to track how you’re responding to this specific form of treatment.