Unlocking Healing: An Introduction to EMDR Therapy
In the realm of mental health, one therapeutic approach stands out for its ability to help individuals process and heal from trauma: Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR). At Graceful Balance Wellness, we believe in the power of God-given adaptive brains – brains designed to process, integrate, and file away experiences, allowing us to move forward. However, trauma can become “stuck” in our brains and bodies, causing us to re-experience the event or be easily triggered by related stimuli. This is where EMDR comes into play.
What is EMDR?
EMDR therapy uses bilateral stimulation to connect the right and left hemispheres of the brain. This is typically achieved through tapping on the body or using specific eye movements while discussing and processing past traumas. This method helps unlock the “stuck” information, enabling the brain to reprocess the experience in a healthy way.
Developed initially as a treatment for traumatic memories, EMDR has proven effective for various conditions, particularly post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and anxiety. Unlike traditional talk therapy, EMDR does not require extensive discussion of the traumatic event. Instead, it focuses on changing the thoughts and feelings surrounding the trauma.
The Eight Phases of EMDR Therapy
EMDR therapy is structured into eight phases, each designed to facilitate the reprocessing of traumatic memories and promote healing. Here’s what each phase entails:
- History Taking and Treatment Planning: The therapist and client discuss the client’s history and develop a treatment plan.
- Preparation: The therapist explains EMDR, sets expectations, and tests eye movements while building resourcing skills.
- Assessment: The therapist and client agree to process a specific disturbing event. The therapist walks the client through a series of questions about the event.
- Desensitization: Reprocessing begins. The client focuses on the memory while following the bilateral stimulation movements. There are pauses between sets where the therapist checks in with the client’s observations and encourages them to breathe.
- Installation: The client attaches a positive belief to the memory while continuing eye movements.
- Body Scan: The client thinks about the original event and the new positive belief while scanning their body for any lingering tension or sensations, which are then processed with further eye movements.
- Closure: The therapist helps the client move their attention from the event toward a calm state. Strategies for managing thoughts and feelings in the future are also discussed.
- Re-evaluation: The therapist and client review the progress of the previous session, discuss changes in the client’s situation and memories, and continue treatment for the same or new memories as needed.
The EMDRIA website also has a helpful video, which you can watch here, explaining more about this type of therapy.
How Long Does EMDR Last?
Most EMDR sessions last at least one hour, and processing a single traumatic experience can take one session or multiple sessions, depending on the client’s unique experiences and needs. The goal of therapy is not to forget traumatic events but to process and heal from them, enabling patients to move out of the “fight, flight, or freeze” response and into a state of healing.
Why EMDR?
Everyone has experienced some form of trauma, whether it’s a Big T (life-threatening events) or Little T (repeatedly occurring stressors). EMDR helps stimulate and unlock stuck information, allowing the brain to reprocess these experiences in a healthy manner. It’s a path to recovery that respects the complexity of trauma and facilitates genuine healing.
At Graceful Balance Wellness, we are dedicated to helping you unlock your potential for healing through evidence-based practices like EMDR. If you’re ready to take the next step in your healing journey, contact us today to schedule a consultation.
