What Conditions can be Treated with EMDR Therapy?
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing, or EMDR Therapy, is a type of psychotherapy. The American Physiological Association conditionally recommends EMDR therapy for the treatment of Trauma and PTSD conditions.
EMDR therapy was developed by an American psychologist, Francine Shapiro, in the 1980s. In EMDR therapy, the patient moves their eyes in back-and-forth movements to safely reprocess traumatic memories. The goal of EMDR is to help those dealing with trauma heal from their distressing life experiences.
At Calm Again Counseling, our team of EMDR Therapists helps those suffering from Trauma through EMDR Therapy. Our trauma specialists use their experience and compassion for those dealing with Trauma and PTSD to help them heal and improve their mental health through EMDR Therapy. To learn more about our practice in the Oakland area, continue reading, or give us a call today at (415) 480-5192.
How Does EMDR Work?
When distressing memories are not processed completely, they can cause post-traumatic stress. Certain sights, smells, sounds, or words can trigger these memories. As a result, the person is forced to re-experience them. EMDR therapy reduces the symptoms of PTSD by changing the way memories are stored in the brain. An EMDR therapist leads their patient through a series of bilateral eye movements as they recall painful memories until they no longer cause distress.
EMDR also has a ripple effect, successfully targeting the underlying distress that runs throughout multiple events. This means that when a patient resolves a major instance of a specific experience, it can also have a positive impact on other parts of that person’s life. For example, a therapist may focus in session on anxiety about the bar exam, the patient may be surprised to gain insight on familial relationships and notice they feel less triggered by family drama as well.
What Does the Research Say About EMDR?
Studies have shown that EMDR therapy can help relieve emotional distress. It may work faster than trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy. EMDR has been shown to alleviate somatic symptoms such as muscle tension, heart palpitations, and trauma-related headaches.
More than 4,000 mental health practitioners are members of the EMDR International Association (EMDRIA). Alternatively, more than 100,000 clinicians have received their EMDR certification after completing rigorous and extensive training.
Here are some notes on research conducted on the effectiveness of EMR therapy:
● HMO Kaiser Permanente conducted research that showed that after only six 50-minute sessions, 100% of single-trauma victims and 77% of multiple-trauma victims were no longer diagnosed with PTSD.
● Some studies by EMDR Institute, Inc. reported that after only three 90-minute sessions, 84% to 90% of single-trauma victims no longer have PTSD.
● A study conducted in 2010 revealed that EMDR improves the cognitive processing of emotions and the structure of concepts in long-term memory storage.
How is EMDR Therapy Different from Other Types of Therapies?
EMDR therapy does not require patients to discuss the memory causing distress or complete homework between sessions. Unlike treatments that focus on changing the emotions, thoughts, or behaviors resulting from traumatic experiences, EMDR allows the brain to process them naturally and fully.
Many trauma patients can find themselves stuck with a feeling of numbness and emptiness, therefore unable to get pleasure out of any of the things that previously made them happy. Life can be unfulfilling. As helpful as talk therapy can be, trauma patients may find themselves having a hard time shifting out of this pervasive numbness.
In comparison to Cognitive Behavioral Therapy or Dialectical Behavior Therapy, which are great forms of talk therapy that can provide self-awareness and improve conflict resolution, EMDR is a faster way to overcome trauma without having to talk about it at length.
What Other Conditions can EMDR Therapy Treat?
EMDR therapy was initially developed to treat PTSD. Today, psychologists use it to treat several mental disorders, including anxiety, panic attacks, depression, eating disorders, and substance use disorders. A systematic review of existing research showed that EMDR could help people cope with the following:
● Distressing health conditions
● Grief or loss of a loved one
● Dissociative and personality disorders
● Uncomfortable memories related to physical assault or abuse
● Psychosis
● Sleep disturbances
What Happens Throughout EMDR Therapy?
EMDR therapy uses a structured eight-phase approach that includes the following:
Phase 1: History Taking
Your therapist will get to know you and your life experiences. This lays the foundation for your therapeutic work together.
Phase 2: Preparation
Your therapist walks you through how the sessions will work, such as learning the eye movements, butterfly hug, or tapping techniques. This is also a phase when your therapist helps you establish healthy coping skills and ensure your support system is in place.
Phase 3: Assessing the Target Memory
Your therapist will help you to identify the image associated with the trauma, negative beliefs associated with it, a positive belief you want to have, how valid the positive belief feels to you now, your emotions at the present moment, how much disturbance you currently have, and bring awareness to the physical sensations in your body.
Phase 4-7: Processing the Memory to Adaptive Resolution
In these phases, you’ll start to use back and forth movements to integrate the traumatic memory. This is how you’ll become desensitized to the memory, strengthen positive beliefs about yourself, practice body scanning, and wrap up the session with closure.
Phase 8: Evaluating Treatment Results
This final stage is to make sure the charge to the memory has been neutralized and you feel resolved in relation to this traumatic memory.
Why Calm Again Counseling for EMDR?
Calm Again Counseling is a leading trauma therapy center in Oakland. Our therapists have years of experience helping people cope with mental health issues. To make an appointment, or speak with one of our EMDR therapists, call (415) 480-5192.