Eye movement desensitisation and reprocessing (EMDR)
Discovered and developed by Francine Shapiro in 1987, EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) is a non-talking therapy that enables people to heal from the symptoms and emotional distress resulting from disturbing life experiences. Shapiro noticed that disturbing thoughts changed with spontaneous eye movements to less disturbing thoughts. This is turn lead to adaptive resolution. She developed the standard procedure with a primary focus on anxiety reduction.
EMDR has repeatedly shown that the mind can heal from psychological trauma just like the body heals from physical trauma. When you cut your hand, your body works to close the wound. If a foreign object or repeated injury irritates the wound, it festers and causes pain. Once the block is removed, healing resumes. EMDR therapy demonstrates that a similar sequence of events occurs with mental processes. The brain’s information processing system naturally moves toward mental health. If the system is blocked or imbalanced by the impact of a disturbing event, the emotional wound festers and can cause intense suffering. Once the block is removed, healing resumes.
EMDR is an eight phase treatment which is often used for trauma work although it is now widely used for many different presentations problems. Sessions usually last between 60 and 90 minutes. It is thought EMDR helps create the connections between the brain’s memory networks in a similar way to those during REM sleep.
During therapy, attention is given to the past, present and future. Focus is given to past disturbing memories and any related events. During a traumatic event a person may be overwhelmed by what is taking place and their brain may be unable to process the information like a normal memory. This can lead to the memory becoming ‘frozen’ in time and the person continues to re-experience the unwanted, intrusive trauma memories, as if it were happening again now. This often includes re-experiencing images, feelings, tastes, smells and sounds associated with the trauma.
Once a target or targets are identified they are processed using the EMDR procedures. These involve the client identifying:
1. The vivid visual image related to the memory
2. A negative belief about self
3. Related emotions and body sensations
4. Positive/preferred belief
EMDR treatment helps clients reprocess the ‘frozen’ disturbing thoughts and memories through using bilateral (alternative left to right) stimulation, such as eye movements, hand taps or sounds. Throughout treatment, the processed memories become less distressing and feel more like normal memories which can be accessed if wanted, when needed.
The ‘Blind to Therapist Protocol’ allows a client to have EMDR without revealing any content of the problem. This is particularly helpful for those clients who have signed the Official Secrets Act, police officers, doctors, firefighters and abuse survivors where a client may fear overwhelming or ‘disgusting’ the therapist with the nature of the material to be treated.
For more information on EMDR see the EMDR UK Association website (https://emdrassociation.org.uk)