EMDR: Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing


What is EMDR?

Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) is a highly specialized therapy used to overcome the effects of traumatic or upsetting experiences. It was first developed in 1987 as a treatment for PTSD, and now EMDR is used to help not only clients needing to process trauma, but those looking for a new approach to treatment for depression, anxiety, low self esteem, phobias, and more.


How does EMDR work?

When a person is highly distressed or traumatized, the brain’s normal information processing is interrupted. Essentially, it heightens our trauma responses and takes away our ability to make sense of the context. Because of this, after, you may react to certain present situations as if you were still in the traumatic event.

This can sound a little confusing so imagine it like this: let’s say you experience a traumatic event. During this instance, there is an overpowering smell of beer. While normally, the smell of beer may signal nothing but an adult beverage, your brain has linked the smell of beer to the traumatic event. Now, when you smell beer in a different setting, your brain may not be able to process the fact that the context of the situation is different, and it could trigger your same trauma response. While consciously you will know that the smell of beer presents no danger to you, your brain will think you are back in the traumatic event.

EMDR helps clients to both process the past, sore it away in an orderly, healthy fashion, as well as to correct those dysfunctional connections our brains made in moments of trauma.  

EMDR therapy facilitates the accessing and processing of traumatic memories and other adverse life experience to bring these to an adaptive resolution. This stimulation helps connect the emotional side of the brain to the thinking, processing side of the brain, so you can make new connections regarding how a traumatic event was processed and how you think about and respond emotionally and physically to the event now.


What happens in an EMDR session?

EMDR is a non-invasive treatment option done in office. In an EMDR session dual stimulation- that’s sound, light, or touch you have to track across your body or field of view- is used to direct attention and connect the two sides of the brain. At Inspire Counseling Collective, our therapist Laura Gordon (LMFT), uses small handheld devices to provide this dual stimulation. Clients hold a small vibrating device in each hand as the therapist guides them through talking about and processing the traumatic event.

EMDR handheld.jpeg

EMDR combines therapeutic methods with these eye movements, or rhythmic hand taps or sounds, to target a stressful past event and thus “re-program” the memory with a more positive and empowered view.

EMDR is not hypnosis! While the image of tracking your eyes back and forth might conjure up images of hypnotists dangling pocket watches, that is not what EMDR therapy is. There is no entering a trance, and you are fully aware of what’s happening the whole time. 

EMDR treatment phases:

Phase One: History Taking and Resource Development.
Here is where you and your therapist will go over possible targets (memories) for the treatment plan, and your therapist will create a treatment plan specific to you. This phase is also where you’ll learn any skills or develop any internal resources you may need to have during the EMDR treatment. These can be relaxation skills, or being able to call to mind a vivid picture of a Safe Place or someone (real or imagined) who encourages you and understands your struggles. 

Phase Two: EMDR is based around targeting stressful, upsetting, and traumatic memories. This means it is possible you will need more than one tool to handle emotional distress as it comes up. In this phase, your therapist will ensure you have multiple ways of handling instances of emotional distress. 

Phases Three Through Six: These phases all work together. They are the components used while targeting and reprocessing those distressing or disturbing memories. In these phases you work on identifying:
1) an image related to the memory
2) a negative belief you hold about yourself when you think of the memory
3) any emotions or physical symptoms that come up with the memory
This is also the phase where the negative belief will be reprocessed into an earlier chosen positive alternative.

Phase Seven: Closure. This is any sort of record or log that your therapist will ask you to keep between sessions. 

Phase Eight: This phase is actually at the start of the next session, and it’s all about reviewing the process made so far. If anything has come up in between sessions, this is also when you can go over it with your therapist and determine what steps to take next! 

While that can all sound a little clinical or technical, basically what is happening in EMDR is you are choosing a memory to recall, and holding it and the sensations it brings with it altogether as you also work with that dual stimulation. And your therapist will guide you through any prompts or thought exercises you’ll need! 


What kinds of problems can EMDR help with?

EMDR began as a treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and major trauma. However, EMDR can be quite helpful with “small t” traumas — upsetting events that happen in everyday life that may leave us feeling negative about ourselves or the world. Examples include struggling in school; being ridiculed by a parent, spouse, or coworker; or getting lost as a child in a public place. EMDR has been helpful with the following mental health concerns:

  • Childhood trauma

  • Physical abuse

  • Sexual abuse

  • Panic attacks

  • Addictions

  • Phobias

  • Obsessive-compulsive disorders (OCD)

  • Grief