by Elizabeth Greason

Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing or EMDR was discovered in 1987 by Dr. Francine Shapiro. It is an approach to therapy that integrates aspects of psychodynamic, cognitive behavioral, experiential and body centered therapies.  EMDR is best known for its use in the treatment of trauma.  It is also effective for many other issues including depression, anxiety, phobias, and shifting self limiting core beliefs.

EMDR is a structured eight phase approach addressing past, present, and future aspects of a traumatic or distressing event.  Using bi-lateral stimulation such as eye movements, sound, tapping, or sensation, unresolved events are processed, resulting in lasting change.
           
According to Shapiro, when a traumatic event occurs it may overwhelm usual ways of coping and remain inadequately processed and stored.  When the memory is triggered in every day life, the individual may experience aspects of the traumatic event such as flashbacks or an inappropriate overreaction to the trigger.  While the mechanism behind why EMDR works is controversial, it is widely agreed to be an effective therapy addressing trauma.  When the distressing event is an isolated incident, symptoms can often be resolved in 1-3 sessions.  When the event is more complex, involving physical, emotional, or sexual abuse, severe neglect or health related trauma for example, the time to heal may take longer.

During an EMDR session the client and therapist work together to identify possible targets for beginning work. The client is asked to focus on an image of the event, the emotion experienced, any physical sensations and negative cognitions. They are asked to identify how activating the event is on a scale of 1-10 and also to imagine a positive cognition they would prefer to have in regard to the event.  At this point the therapist begins multiple sets of bi-lateral stimulation.  This may involve the therapist moving her finger or hand across the client’s visual field, through pulsars held in the client’s hands or auditorally using headphones worn by the client while focusing on both the triggering event and the bi-lateral stimulation.  This dual focus of attention results in a transformation of the emotional, sensory and cognitive components of the memory.  It is not uncommon for us to be able to bring the level of activation down significantly in one session. When accessed at a later time we find that progress made in one session holds.  When we process the event in its entirety, there is often a remarkable shift.  Troubling symptoms can be resolved and even the meaning of the event in our lives often shifts.