EMDR Therapy

About EMDR

Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) is a therapeutic approach developed in the late 1980s by psychologist Francine Shapiro, designed to help individuals process and heal from traumatic experiences. Shapiro made her discovery during a walk in a park, when she noticed that her own disturbing thoughts began to diminish as her eyes moved rapidly back and forth. This observation led to the development of a structured therapeutic protocol that has since helped millions of people worldwide.

EMDR works by facilitating the brain's natural healing process. When traumatic memories are stored in a maladaptive way, they can continue to cause distress long after the original event. EMDR helps the brain reprocess these memories so they are stored more adaptively, reducing their emotional charge and allowing individuals to move forward without being held captive by the past.

The Eight Phases of EMDR

Phase 1 — History and Treatment Planning: Your therapist gathers a comprehensive history and identifies the specific memories and experiences that will be targeted during treatment. Together, you develop a treatment plan tailored to your unique needs.

Phase 2 — Preparation: Your therapist explains the EMDR process in detail and teaches you self-regulation techniques to help you manage any emotional distress that may arise during or between sessions. Building a sense of safety and trust is essential at this stage.

Phase 3 — Assessment: The target memory is identified along with its associated images, negative beliefs, emotions, and body sensations. A positive belief that you would like to hold instead is also identified, creating a clear direction for the reprocessing work.

Phase 4 — Desensitization: Using bilateral stimulation — typically guided eye movements, but sometimes tapping or audio tones — your therapist helps you process the target memory. The goal is to reduce the distress associated with the memory until it no longer triggers an intense emotional response.

Phase 5 — Installation: The positive belief identified in Phase 3 is strengthened and "installed" to replace the negative belief associated with the traumatic memory. This phase reinforces the adaptive resolution of the target experience.

Phase 6 — Body Scan: Your therapist guides you through a scan of your body to identify any residual physical tension or discomfort associated with the target memory. Any remaining sensations are processed until they resolve.

Phase 7 — Closure: Each session ends with closure techniques to ensure you leave feeling stable and grounded. Your therapist may guide you through relaxation exercises and provide instructions for managing any processing that continues between sessions.

Phase 8 — Reevaluation: At the start of each subsequent session, your therapist evaluates the progress made and determines whether previously processed memories need further attention or whether new targets should be addressed.

What EMDR Treats

EMDR has been extensively researched and is recognized as an effective treatment for a wide range of conditions:

• PTSD: EMDR is one of the most well-established treatments for post-traumatic stress disorder, recommended by the World Health Organization and the American Psychological Association
• Anxiety: Generalized anxiety, social anxiety, and panic disorders often have roots in past experiences that EMDR can help resolve
• Depression: When depression is connected to unprocessed traumatic or adverse experiences, EMDR can address the underlying causes
• Phobias: Specific fears and phobias often respond well to EMDR's reprocessing approach
• Eating disorders: EMDR can help address the traumatic experiences and negative self-beliefs that frequently underlie disordered eating
• Chronic pain: When pain has an emotional or traumatic component, EMDR can help reduce both the emotional and physical distress
• Addiction: Research has demonstrated that EMDR can help reduce alcohol cravings and is effective for individuals with co-occurring PTSD and substance use disorders

How EMDR Works

EMDR is often described as a "bottom-up" therapy, meaning it emphasizes the body and sensory experience rather than relying solely on cognitive or verbal processing. While traditional talk therapy works primarily through conscious thought and narrative, EMDR engages the brain's information processing system at a deeper level.

The bilateral stimulation used in EMDR — whether through eye movements, tapping, or audio tones — is believed to activate the brain's natural healing mechanisms, similar to what occurs during REM sleep. This stimulation engages the nervous system and facilitates the reprocessing of traumatic memories that have become "stuck" in their original, distressing form.

While EMDR is fundamentally a body-based approach, it also incorporates elements of cognitive restructuring. The installation of positive beliefs in Phase 5 helps reshape how you think about yourself in relation to your experiences, creating a more integrated and adaptive understanding of your history.