Eye movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) Therapy

EMDR stands for Eye-Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing, a leading Psychotherapy technique widely used by trained mental health professionals to help individuals reprocess traumatic events, PTSD (Post-traumatic stress disorder) and other unsettling experiences. It
follows a structured pattern and a humanistic approach, that the clients possess everything within themselves to facilitate their healing process.
We will be diving deeper into the entire and step-by-step procedure of EMDR therapy but first, let us look back at the history of EMDR Therapy.

History of EMDR Therapy:

Developed by Dr. Francine Shapiro in 1987. Shapiro, accidentally discovered this technique while walking in a park. She was contemplating her own unsettling experiences and noticed her eyes moving back and forth spontaneously. As a psychologist, she got curious as to what had happened and later noted that recalling upsetting events along with moving her eyes, enabled her to cope with disturbing thoughts and it became less overwhelming. Then she began to experiment with what was found and came up with a structured therapeutic tool, the EMDR Therapy.

The Dynamics of Trauma:

Traumatic events overwhelm our brains and impact our capacity and ability to make sense of what has happened. It disrupts the complete
procedure of processing the event. Due to this, the memory of traumatic experiences is stored in our body differently in comparison to our other life experiences. Since the processing of the traumatic event was affected, our brain does not process that event fully. Now, on a fine day, when we encounter any stimulus that is similar or serves as a reminder of our past traumatic experience, then those experiences get activated in the form of flashbacks, bad dreams, physiological arousal like sweating, racing heart or intense feelings of emotions.

How EMDR Works:

Like any other therapy, EMDR also requires establishing a therapeutic relationship with the client where the individual is provided with a safe
space to express themselves and their experiences freely. EMDR helps the brain to process the traumatic memory in chunks by focusing on different aspects of the memory gradually, rather than focusing on the overall memory at once. It is also important to ensure that the client will make a good match for this therapy technique as it involves recalling past experiences and reliving the trauma for a while. Therefore, the client must have access to resources like social support, positive life experiences, etc so they can rely on them when they feel overburdened.

EMDR involves 8 distinct phases of treatment,

History Taking and Treatment Planning:

The therapist gathers information about the client’s history, trauma, and current problems faced and then specifies which memories, emotions and negative beliefs must be targeted and reprocessed during the treatment. For example- A woman had a traumatic experience of a car accident. The therapist will gather information on what happened on that day, which aspect of that day terrifies her the most, and what she feels whenever she sees a car.

Preparation:

The client is provided with complete details about the EMDR process. The individual is also taught coping and relaxation strategies which can be used during and in between the sessions to ensure a sense of safety and security.

Assessment:

The therapist asks the client to focus on disturbing aspects of memory, including visual images, emotions, and physical sensations along with positive aspects that they would like to adapt. If the woman feels that she is powerless and lost control then the therapist helps her to adopt a positive aspect that she is in control of her safety. (The client is asked to rate their level of stress on a scale of 0-10 while recalling the negative aspects.)

Desensitization:

This is the process of making someone less sensitive or reactive to something and is very crucial as it aims to change our relationship with the traumatic event. In this process, the therapist guides the client to recall the traumatic memory while engaging in bilateral stimulation (stimulating both sides of the brain alternately). This can be performed by moving eyes from one side to the other, tapping, or through therapy devices like the Thera tapper.

This process provides dual awareness, as the client recalls the past event and at the same time the interference of bilateral stimulation, allowing the client to be in the present, providing them with a sense of relief and comfort that they are in a safe place, with their therapist. Gradually the intensity of the stress attached to the trauma reduces, allowing the brain to heal and process the memory. The therapist asks the client to rate the level of stress again. This process goes on till the stress level is reduced.

Installation:

Next, the focus is on strengthening the positive belief by using bilateral stimulation to reinforce it. While engaging in bilateral stimulation the woman would focus on thoughts like she is in control of her safety, she is completely safe now and is grateful.

Body Scan:

After the memory has been processed, the therapist asks the client to scan the body for any physical tension like soreness of muscles, stiffness, or pain in any specific part of the body.

Closure:

At the end of the session, the therapist assists the client in regaining emotional stability and ensuring that they are at peace before leaving the therapy room.

Re-evaluation:

In subsequent sessions, the therapist assesses if the client’s relationship with the traumatic event has changed, how the client now feels about the past event and if further sessions of processing are required or not.

Effectiveness and Research:

EMDR therapy is a top-tier recommended therapy for trauma and is found to be extremely effective. Individual differences are also found as some did not find it effective. Organizations like the American Psychological Association (APA) and the World Health Organization (WHO) recognize EMDR as a valid treatment.

Explanations as to why EMDR is effective:

Moving eyes side to side during EMDR, activates the brain’s natural memory processing mechanism which is the same that gets activated during Rapid Eye Movement or REM sleep (the stage of deep sleep). This is when we dream and at this hour our brain processes memories and experiences. Thus, we tap into our brain’s built-in capacity to process and make sense of memory in EMDR.

Side Effects of EMDR:

• It can cause temporary emotional distress while recalling past events. At this time the emotions are intensified.
• Physiological arousal like a racing heart, sweating, panicking, and uncontrollable cries can occur as well.
• The process of EMDR can be overwhelming as it exposes us to physical and emotional distress which can wear us down and cause fatigue, headache, dizziness, etc.
• Some people can also experience nightmares.

Some common Myths about EMDR:

• EMDR is like Hypnosis: EMDR is very different from hypnosis as in EMDR the client is fully present in the moment and has full knowledge and control over what is going on.
• Only uses Eye-Movements: Originally, EMDR started with Eye-Movement but now other forms of bilateral stimulation is used as well, like- hand tapping, auditory stimulation, Thera Tapper etc.
• Effective for all: The effectiveness of EMDR also depends on how and on whom it is conducted. A mental health professional must be well-trained in practising EMDR and should be able to recognize who can benefit from it.
• Cannot be conducted Online: The EMDR International Association has found that EMDR can also be administered online and can be effective if the therapist is well-trained and a strong therapeutic relationship has been established with the client.
• Creates False Memories: It helps to reprocess only those memories that already exist.
• Requires a Detailed Description of Trauma: It is completely alright to not get into the depth of the incident. Merely describing your thoughts, feelings, and emotions can also facilitate the desensitization process.
• Only Effective for Trauma: Though EMDR is highly effective for those who have experienced a single trauma or a single type of trauma, it can also be beneficial for individuals with depression, anxiety, grief, panic attacks and even for performance-related issues.

Conclusion

EMDR is a powerful and impactful therapeutic technique, if not used carefully then it can cause harm and retraumatize the client. It helps us
to reprocess and desensitize the traumatic event in short tolerable amounts, enabling our brain and body to remove the mental blocks so that the healing principle may be released and we revive our inner state of harmony.

“EMDR is not about reliving the trauma, but rather about learning to live beyond it.” – M. M. H. Kauffman