What is EMDR Therapy?

Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) therapy is an integrative form of therapy for the treatment of trauma and many other mental health conditions. The goal of EMDR is to help you process and heal from distressing life experiences and past traumas. While this approach is relatively new to the field of psychotherapy, it has been extensively researched and empirically validated for the treatment of trauma and often supports a faster recovery than traditional approaches.

How does EMDR work?

EMDR therapy uses a technique called bilateral stimulation to repeatedly activate opposite sides of the brain. Therapists often use eye movements to facilitate the bilateral stimulation. These eye movements mimic the period of sleep referred to as rapid eye movement or REM sleep, and this portion of sleep is considered to be the time when the mind processes the recent events in the person’s life.

EMDR helps the brain reprocess the trapped memories in such a way that normal information processing is resumed. Therapists often use EMDR to help clients uncover and process beliefs that developed as the result of relational traumas or childhood abuse and/or neglect. For a more detailed explanation please visit EMDR Institute, Inc or emdria.org.

What does EMDR help?

EMDR had been originally established as helpful for PTSD, although it’s been proven useful for treatment in the following conditions:

Anxiety
Depression
Panic Attacks
Disturbing Memories
Attachment Disorders

EMDR is also helpful if you:

Experience distressing emotions that appear to you, and perhaps to others, to be excessive given the current situation.
Tend to be highly reactive to certain triggers.
Have one or more dysfunctional belief(s) about yourself that on an intellectual level you know are not true.
Have been stuck in traditional therapy for a long time with minimal change. Change often occurs relatively quickly through the use of EMDR compared to traditional therapy.
Prefer to process more internally rather than by verbalizing your experience. EMDR does not require talking for change to occur.

If any of these situations describes you, you may be a good candidate for EMDR therapy.