There are many different types of therapy that can effectively treat trauma. Popular modalities include cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR). In all types of trauma therapies, the goal is to foster a supportive, safe environment in which individuals can explore their trauma memories, develop coping skills, and work toward recovery and resilience, no matter the modality. Let’s discuss EMDR individually.
- EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing)
Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) helps a person become less sensitive to traumatic memories by recalling and reliving them in a safe, therapeutic setting. During an EMDR session, the therapist uses bilateral stimulation, including eye movements, sounds, and tapping. By reprocessing the traumatic memory, the brain reduces its emotional intensity and distress. EMDR allows a person to remember their traumatic experiences while feeling safe in the present. In addition to helping the client understand that the trauma is over, the therapist works with them to change any negative beliefs they may still hold about themselves. Treatment usually lasts between 6 and 20 sessions, although it can vary. Patients who struggle with traumatic memories and feel overwhelmed by their intensity could benefit from EMDR for trauma. However, the emotional detachment that comes with heavy dissociation makes EMDR unsuitable for people who struggle with dissociation or dissociative disorders.
- EMDR Therapy: What Is It?
Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) works by diverting attention through directed eye movements to stimulate the brain’s neural network to reprocess trauma. An EMDR therapy protocol is followed by a qualified therapist, which ensures the client is safe and ready for treatment by adhering to eight steps. For effective memory reprocessing, EMDR has specific requirements. Clients must have the ability to maintain dual awareness, meaning they can envision a difficult memory while also staying grounded in the present. Additionally, clients should be able to manage sudden changes in their emotional state, transitioning from intense emotions to a more peaceful state within seconds. A skilled therapist will consider each client’s personal window of tolerance, ensuring they do not become overwhelmed by strong emotions and can effectively regulate their reactions without becoming trapped in a distressing memory.
- Bilateral Stimulation: What Is It?
In EMDR, both sides of the brain are stimulated with images, sounds, or sensations known as Bilateral Stimulation (BLS). As the client recalls a traumatic memory, they engage in BLS, which is believed to reduce emotional distress and vividness associated with the memory, a process known as desensitization. Working memory is activated in the brain, allowing the client to rewrite their experience of the event.
- What Makes EMDR Therapy Different from Other Therapies?
EMDR utilizes the process of confronting negative memories in order to transform them, whereas CBT involves actively altering thoughts, behaviors, and emotions through specific techniques and assignments. EMDR does not focus on skill-building or behavioral changes. The therapist may suggest keeping a journal after sessions, but it is not mandatory for the therapy to be effective. There is often immediate relief with EMDR compared to most therapies, including talk therapy, and additional relief with each session. Talk therapy can take many years to resolve trauma. In addition to reprocessing past and present difficulties, EMDR also focuses on adapting to future events. Finally, EMDR therapy can often resolve troubling, intense, emotionally negative memories that have resisted other forms of treatment.
- How Does EMDR Work?
EMDR was developed in 1987 to treat Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Although it is still primarily used to treat trauma, it has also been studied with promising results as a treatment option for anxiety disorders, depression, substance abuse disorders, and chronic pain. In people with comorbid psychiatric disorders, EMDR has also been shown to reduce trauma-related symptoms. Compared to other therapeutic approaches, EMDR for PTSD does not require clients to discuss traumatic memories in detail. EMDR focuses on changing the way the memory is stored in the brain in order to alleviate symptoms of PTSD by addressing the memory itself rather than altering thoughts, feelings, or responses to traumatic events. The American Psychological Association conditionally recommends EMDR as a preferred treatment for PTSD. (https://www.apa.org/).
