What is EMDR?
EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) is a technique developed by the psychologist Francine Shapiro in 1987, to treat trauma. After many years of research and development, it is now used to treat a much wider variety of diagnoses and issues, such as general anxiety, phobias, panic or anxiety attacks, disturbing memories and perceptions, to name a few.
Even though EMDR is very successful in treating a fairly wide variety of problems, because there is so much that scientists and researchers still don’t understand about how the brain and neurological systems work, we also don’t quite understand how EMDR works to make the changes that it does, but, it does.
What we do know is that somehow memories and our perceptions of them get “stuck” in a loop, as does our emotional response to those memories. Consequently, the associated emotions become magnified and our minds are unable to calmly and completely reprocess and store those memories. When this happens, the traumatic event can be re-experienced as a flashback; nightmares and/or sleep disturbances are possible; and debilitating anxiety and depression can occur; all of which can profoundly effect one’s life.
The general concensus by practitioners and researchers is that EMDR works by unraveling that “stuck loop” of memories and perceptions using different methods of bilateral stimulation of the brain in conjunction with cognitive reprocessing of the traumatic event. Bilateral stimulation simply refers to alternating auditory, visual or tactile sensations – most EMDR therapists use alternating, right/left, tones (auditory), tapping (tactile) or eye movements (visual).
Once the issue or memory is reprocessed through successfully, usually what happens is that flashbacks disappear, sleep is improved and anxiety is greatly reduced. The memories don’t disappear, but the related negative effects are either diminished or gone completely. So, a traumatic event can be remembered, without re-traumatizing.
What Mental/Emotional Issues can EMDR treat?
General anxiety
Anxiety/Panic attacks
Complicated Grief (prolonged, debilitating)
Dissociative disorders
Disturbing memories
Phobias
Eating disorders
Performance anxiety
Stress reduction
Addictions
Childhood/adult traumas
Pain disorders
What Is Trauma?
Psychological trauma is the unique individual experience of an event or enduring condition in which:
1. The individual’s ability to integrate his/her emotional experience is overwhelmed, or……
2. The individual experiences a threat to life, bodily integrity or sanity.
(Pearlman and Saakvitne, 1995)
Trauma is defined by the experiencer's perception of the traumatic experience, and how they react or respond to those perceptions or memories of the trauma over time. No two people will respond to a traumatic event in the same way.
Examples of traumatic events include, but are not limited to: military combat; sexual/physical assault; physical, verbal or emotional abuse; domestic violence; abuse that occurs in childhood, adulthood or the elderly; experiencing natural disasters; the loss of a loved one by death or separation; vehicular accidents; witnessing violence; major surgery, disease or injury.
EMDR "YouTube" videos:
“Window to an EMDR Session” (Colleen West)
Laurel Parnell, Ph.D. “EMDR” (The Omega Institute)
“How EMDR Can Resolve Traumatic Memories That Formed You”, (EMDRinAction.com), (Colleen West)
EMDR Resources
https://overcomingpain.com (Mark Grant's website - Dr. Grant is an Australian EMDR therapist who specializes in treating pain using EMDR)
I also highly recommend Dr. Grant's EMDR audio recordings available through iTunes or Amazon for purchase, specifically, "Calm and Confident" and "Pain Control Based on EMDR".
Dr. Grant also has an App for purchase called "Anxiety Release based on EMDR"