EMDR Therapy

What Can EMDR Therapy Treat?

This type of psychotherapy can be helpful in a range of mental health disorders. Specifically, it focuses on emotions, thoughts, and behaviors that come specifically from some type of distressing situation or trauma.

A person experiencing an intense event or some type of disturbing experience may develop trauma if the brain fails to process the occurrence properly. With EMDR, the brain learns how to move on and continue the healing process.

Some of the mental health disorders treated with EMDR include:

• Post-traumatic stress disorder
• Anxiety disorders, including panic disorders, generalized anxiety disorder, and phobias
• Depression disorders, including major depressive disorder, illness-related depression, and persistent depressive disorder
• Dissociative disorders, including amnesia and dissociative identity disorder
• Eating disorders
• Obsessive-compulsive disorders
• Acute stress disorder
• Borderline personality disorder

Why EMDR Therapy Works

One key component of this process is to understand the difference between your mind and your brain. Your brain is a very specific organ, and a rather obviously important processing tool. Your mind is a collection of thoughts, beliefs, memories, and experiences that make up who you are.

Your mind works by using the structure of the brain. That structure has numerous communication networks that allow brain cells to share information from one area to the next. This structure helps to maintain memories and control your senses. This brain network helps to make it easier for you to make each area of the brain work together.

That is why the faint smell of a fragrance can bring back the image of a loved one, or when a certain sound triggers a memory for you. To do this, the brain uses adaptive information processing, a term used to describe the process the brain uses to store memories. The process relies on the theory that your brain stores normal and traumatic memories in a different manner.

When a typical event happens, your brain stores that memory in a smooth, effortless way. It networks those memories, allowing for other areas of your brain to access them. But when something troublesome occurs, the networking part does not happen in the right manner. Instead, the brain becomes “offline,” which means a disconnect forms in the process. What you feel, hear, and see, and what your brain stores, are very different.

When the brain stores memories in a way that does not allow for healthy healing from the event, you form trauma symptoms such as flashbacks to what occurred at strange periods, like when a sound or smell triggers that memory.

How EMDR Makes a Difference

When you work through EMDR with your therapist, you gain access to those memories of the traumatic event. This is done in a very specific way to avoid retraumatizing you.

Your therapist will have you think about specific triggers related to the traumatic event. Then, combined with eye movement, provide specific instructions to you. These steps will help your brain remember that negative event and then continue to process it. This leads to repairing the mental injury that occurred when the lack of networking took place.

The result is that, when you remember what happened to you, you are no longer emotionally impacted by it. It no longer feels like you are reliving that event. And, as a result, the feelings you have are manageable and less likely to impact your well-being.

When Is EMDR Used?

EMDR is used more readily today than when it was first introduced. Your therapist will provide you with a formal consultation and assessment to better understand what your needs are and what is behind those behaviors and emotions.

You may benefit from EMDR if you struggle with working through trauma through other treatment options. You may also find that this treatment is effective when other types of psychotherapy have not been.

What Happens in EMDR Therapy?

In EMDR therapy, you will work through eight phases. Each of the phases occurs over more than one session, and sometimes one session will include parts of several phases. Most people will need three to six sessions if they have a single disturbing event. In situations where it is far more complex or ongoing trauma occurred, eight to 12 sessions may be necessary. Each session typically lasts 60 to 90 minutes.

The process of EMDR usually follows this path:

• Getting your patient history and gathering information.
• Preparation and education in which you talk about what will happen during EMDR sessions and how to expect the process to move forward
• Assessment. During this step, your provider will assess and identify themes and specific memories that are impacting you, including creating a plan for which memories may require reprocessing.
• Desensitization and reprocessing occur next. This is when the provider will activate the memory to allow you to experience the negative images or thoughts. They will notice how you feel during this process.
• Installation is the next phase, in which you will focus on the positive belief you want to build that will then allow you to process that memory.
• A body scan will help you to understand how you are feeling physically and aid your provider in identifying the progress you have made.
• Closure and stabilization are the final phases. It helps to bridge to the next session.

Investing in this treatment can help you navigate the complexities of your experiences and work to improve your trauma.

EMDR Therapy FAQs

What are the benefits of EMDR?

It works to help break the hold that trauma has on your mind. It also tends to work faster than other forms of therapy. Most people also find there’s less homework or self-work you have to do.

Can EMDR help my mental health disorder?

This particular mental health treatment is only effective in dealing with trauma-related occurrences. It does not help other types of mental health disorders.

Are there risks related to EMDR?

The risks are very low. Some people have negative thoughts and feelings between sessions as their brain continues to process what they are facing. Your provider will help minimize these risks.