Eye-movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) is one of the most research-supported, effective treatments for trauma resolution available today. In fact, 80-90% of participants show a clinically significant reduction in symptoms! It is primarily used to treat trauma, but has also shown to be effective for depression, anxiety, insomnia, grief and loss, chronic pain, substance use, eating disorders, bipolar, even tinnitus!
Developed at Stanford University by Dr Francine Shapiro, EMDR uses alternating bilateral stimulation (ABS) to activate the brain’s natural systems of processing distress. The same way our bodies can naturally heal a physical wound, our brain is able to heal and make sense of distressing things that happen in daily life.
However, when we are in a state of fight or flight, and especially when we are young (before the brain’s ability to self-heal is fully formed), distressing experiences don’t quite make it into the brain’s natural processing center, the prefrontal cortex. Those experiences instead get stored in the amygdala, unprocessed and unhealed. EMDR creates a sort of “pipeline”, delivering the unhealed memories to the processing center to be reframed and released.
What is EMDR like? Do I have to talk about my trauma? What if I can’t really remember it?
One of the great things about EMDR is that it can access subconscious memories, unlike talk therapy. So no worries if you can’t really remember what happened! And if you don’t want to talk about it, you don’t have to! But you DO have to think about your trauma. EMDR is best for people who are ready to finally confront the things that have been holding them stuck, and be released from trauma holding patterns once and for all.
You will first work with your therapist to build up tools to be able to tolerate thinking about the traumatic events or beliefs. Your therapist will then guide you through a processing protocol as you undergo ABS, which may mean watching a target to move eyes back and forth, holding vibrating “pulsers”, or simply tapping rhythmically. These sessions are typically 80 minutes long. When session is complete, your therapist will guide you through exercises to be able to calmly return to your day, even if you’ve been crying for the last hour! Sessions can be virtual or in-office.
What is attachment? What is Attachment-Focused EMDR?
Attachment-focused EMDR (AF-EMDR), is a specialized version of EMDR that specifically targets attachment wounds. Attachment trauma may not be caused by abuse or neglect, sometimes its causes are as subtle as parenting style. AF-EMDR is formatted to heal attachment struggles, even if no specific, classic trauma has occurred.
Attachment refers to your ability to connect with your #1 person. Do feel safe and secure in your relationships? Are you afraid to commit, “need a lot of independence” or maybe constantly worry that your partner is mad at you or going to break up with you? Are you attracted to toxic people again and again? Do you trend towards being co-dependent? These are all examples of attachment-based struggles. We can treat them with talk therapy in many ways. We can HEAL them with AF-EMDR.
What is an EMDR intensive?
An intensive is a 3 hour session of EMDR. It targets a particular problem in your life very specifically, and has the potential to make dramatic progress in a single sitting. EMDR intensives may be done alongside ongoing psychotherapy as a way to break through a block or plateau.
Risks and benefits:
EMDR may stir up intense memories, sensations, or emotions as the past experiences are being processed and healed. Sometimes, repressed memories may resurface. Your therapist works with you to create a toolbox of resources that will help you to handle these uncomfortable emotions.
EMDR results in a decrease in trauma symptoms. This may include becoming less “triggered” by things in your life, improved mood, decreased anxiety, more willingness to be vulnerable, bigger capacity for love and happiness, decreased nightmares, changes in behavioral patterns, even improved libido!