EMDR Trauma Treatment
EMDR is an evidence-based trauma treatment. EMDR uses a specific approach to help guide someone safely through processing a traumatic experience. It helps their mind finally catch up to the present moment and feel a sense of relief that the trauma is no longer a present threat.
EMDR Trauma Treatment
What comes to mind when you hear the acronym “EMDR?” If you guessed an electric dance music concert with techno music, raves, and flashing lights, sadly that is not quite the answer… but sounds like a blast! EMDR Trauma Treatment is an incredibly helpful resource for recovering from trauma.
EMDR stands for Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing.
EMDR is an evidence-based trauma treatment; meaning there are a multitude of systemic and reliable studies that show how effective this intervention is.
This unique therapy method was designed and developed by an American psychologist,
Francine Shapiro in the 1980s. According to Shapiro, she was walking through a park when a distressing memory from her past came to mind. She began rapidly moving her eyes back and forth between two light poles to try and get rid of the unpleasant memory. She noticed that her memory started to fade, her emotions reduced, and afterward, she felt calm. Shapiro continued to do this whenever a disturbing or traumatic memory would come to the surface and each time it helped. She started studying this phenomenon more closely and realized it is an effective intervention, thus, designing EMDR.
This scientific happenstance turned into an incredible discovery!
How does EMDR work for trauma?
EMDR works for trauma through bilateral stimulation paired with memory exposure. The ultimate theory is that eye movement, or bilateral stimulation, is very similar to what happens during REM (rapid eye movement) sleep. It is during this stage of sleep that our mind processes our memories from the day, stores them in our long-term memory, and connects them to everything else we know. By using this bilateral stimulation while bringing up a memory, we’re activating that same brain mechanism to target a specific memory so we can move it into our long-term storage.
Our trauma memories are highly emotional and highly activated physiologically. These particular recollections are stored in the emotional part of our minds. Because of their inability to transition into long-term memory, they become “timeless” memories. No matter how much time has passed, our brains believe these memories still exist in the present moment and will continue to activate them.
Trauma is a psychological injury.
When one becomes injured, misalignment occurs in the body and things don’t always work as they used to. Our left brain, or logical side, knows the situation is over, we survived it, and life moved on. But because of the way the brain has stored our memory, and how it functions now because of it, it is acting as if that were not the case.
Through EMDR, we pull up this memory and move it to the long term where it can be stored as part of the grander narrative of our lives.
Of course, some events will stand out as more significant due to their transformative nature. Still, they won’t necessarily carry an emotional charge or physiological response anymore. Research also shows that other symptoms of trauma (intrusive memories, hyperarousal, anxiety, emotional numbing, dissociation, depression, etc.) also remediate.
EMDR compared to other therapies
Current research indicates that EMDR is the most effective treatment for trauma; however, there is some debate that prolonged DBT (dialectical behavior therapy) or CBT (cognitive behavioral therapy) exposure rivals the effectiveness of EMDR. Other studies show that EMDR, since it has been refined and redesigned over time, particularly to lower the risk of retraumatization and lower the intensity of some of the exposure, it has become a much more functional intervention.
EMDR is so well-researched and has been adapted in so many ways, it is now an incredibly effective intervention for many different experiences: processing painful core beliefs, trauma, PTSD, helping repair attachment ruptures, etc. EMDR is very helpful for complex trauma or CPTSD, attachment trauma, and betrayal trauma.
It is an extremely versatile model.
Exposure in EMDR is non-verbal visualization; meaning the patient can visualize the memory without having to say it out loud. The patient does not have to share the memory or talk about it.
What is bilateral stimulation?
Bilateral stimulation is anything that stimulates the brain across the hemispheres. This can be with any kind of right/left, right/left, activity.
This stimulation is the mechanism that we believe is activating that part of the brain that says “We’re not just reviewing this memory, but we are processing it into our long-term memory.”
There are quite a few methods to do this. Other examples include vibrating apparatuses in each hand, tapping the shoulders with the opposite hand, and listening to sounds or tones with headphones that alternate each ear.
EMDR Session Example: What an EMDR session typically looks like
Step 1: Resources - more on this below!
Step 2: Identify the target memory - think about the moment, the worst part of the moment, the picture you see, the physical and emotional feelings that arise, any thoughts or beliefs that come up, etc.
Step 3: Process each one of those components into long-term memory.
It is important to light up each of those pieces to tackle all the different routes in our minds that lead to this memory. Understanding these thoughts and beliefs helps us process any core beliefs developed based on that experience.
A core belief is a timeless belief that someone carries with them in every experience and applies it to all situations about themselves and the world.
For example, a person developed the idea “I am unsafe” from a traumatic experience. So now that individual is acting as though they are unsafe in all situations. By processing this belief, we can see it dissolve and mold into something that accurately reflects this individual’s values and reality.
Instead of “I am unsafe,” it is turned into “sometimes dangerous things happen and I survived this;” a new, healthier, and more functional core belief now established.
The four components of EMDR
There are 4 components to practicing EMDR.
Image
Emotion
Body sensation
Belief
The cool part about EMDR is that you don’t need all four components to accomplish processing properly. This is especially great for early childhood trauma that may have occurred pre-verbally.
These particular traumas may not come with a core belief or an image. They may just be accompanied by an emotion or body sensation. We can use bilateral stimulation to focus our attention on the components we do have to process it. We still see a resolution occur!
Isn't the brain incredible?!
What is recovery after EMDR like?
Another amazing aspect of this intervention is that there isn’t much recovery after EMDR. With other methods, there is substantial resolution and recovery that happens outside of session. There might be an emotional activation or the processing of intense grief that continue afterward.
EMDR is designed so that if we stay within the window of tolerance, the recovery won’t be so intense. The patient will likely feel slightly mentally fatigued, but not exhausted, overwhelmed, or triggered. Those are all indicators that we left the window of tolerance.
What is the window of tolerance?
The window of tolerance is a space that exists where we are emotionally activated but not overwhelmed. This is the optimal zone of effectiveness with any intervention.
If we aren’t activated at all, this tells us that we are not tapped into any trauma memory, thus indicating that we are not processing anything. If the patient feels flooded with emotion or out of control, this means we have blown out of that window. Once outside of the window of tolerance, we risk retraumatization and activating fight, flight, or freeze.
Ultimately, this window of tolerance is used to gauge how the intervention is going. This method can be uncomfortable, but should never be overwhelming and all-consuming. It is also important to remember that our emotions will shift and change during the session as well.
This window of tolerance is one of the reasons why we are able to make EMDR an intervention that someone can walk away from and still feel regulated and intact afterward. With other exposure interventions, people may walk away feeling like they are in pieces over the next few hours or even days. We gauge this window with ongoing communication and prior assessment. This window can also shrink and expand depending on what current stressors and vulnerabilities we’re experiencing.
We’re all human after all!
What are EMDR resources?
EMDR Resources are different archetypal experiences or figures that help us during times when the patient is feeling really activated so we can continue processing stuck memories.
One thing I like to make clear is that EMDR is NOT a forensic investigation. We don’t have to worry about getting all the facts or remembering the event exactly as it occurred. We are simply trying to see how the memory is interacting with our brains. To do so, we must understand how this memory got stuck so we can unlock it and process it to long-term. It is also common for memories to get conflated with other memories, so 100% accuracy is never the goal.
EMDR Resources come in to help shift or change the experience of that memory.
Common core archetypal patterns or qualities that we use for EMDR Resources:
A peaceful place
A figure:
Can be a real or imaginary person or animal
Ideally, these figures are uncomplicated, nurturing, protective, and wise.
Note: we don’t want to tap into immediate family members or partners. The dynamics of the relationship can make the processing get muddy.
Common characters include Wonder Woman, Hagrid from harry potter, or generic figures like a godmother or mama bear.
EMDR uses a specific approach to help guide someone safely through processing a traumatic experience. It helps their mind finally catch up to the present moment and feel a sense of relief that the trauma is no longer a present threat.
In my opinion, EMDR is a fantastic intervention that I have personally tried and provided. While accessibility is an ongoing issue for the majority of mental health services, including EMDR, I highly recommend this method if you are able to access it.
Want to learn more about YOUR specific trauma recovery style? Take the QUIZ and get unique skills specific to you!
Ultimately, when choosing a therapy method, it is entirely up to the patient to choose what works best for them and their comfort level
Want to learn more about YOUR specific trauma recovery style? Take the QUIZ and get unique skills specific to you!
If you want to start therapy today, sign up to work with me here. I offer trauma therapy with multiple approaches to best meet the needs of trauma survivors. You can sign up for my mailing list to get tips for trauma recovery right to your mailbox. You can also listen to my podcast, Initiated Survivor, anywhere you hear podcasts. Follow me on Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, and Youtube to get awesome survivor content.
Therapy for trauma in AL, AZ, AR, CA, CO, CNMI, CT, DE, DC, FL, GA, ID, IL, IN, KS, KY, ME, MD, MI, MN, MO, NE, NV, NH, NJ, NC, ND, OH, OK, PA, RI, SC, TN, TX, UT, VA, WA, WV, WI, WY
Therapy for BPD in AL, AZ, AR, CA, CO, CNMI, CT, DE, DC, FL, GA, ID, IL, IN, KS, KY, ME, MD, MI, MN, MO, NE, NV, NH, NJ, NC, ND, OH, OK, PA, RI, SC, TN, TX, UT, VA, WA, WV, WI, WY
Virtual group therapy in AL, AZ, AR, CA, CO, CNMI, CT, DE, DC, FL, GA, ID, IL, IN, KS, KY, ME, MD, MI, MN, MO, NE, NV, NH, NJ, NC, ND, OH, OK, PA, RI, SC, TN, TX, UT, VA, WA, WV, WI, WY
If you’d like to listen to my complete podcast episode on EMDR, my Podcast is entitled “Initiated Survivor” and it is available on Apple Podcasts and Spotify!
