What Is EMDR and How Does It Work? Part 2
In Part 1, What Is EMDR and How Does It Work?, I answered some of the most common EMDR questions to give you a full understanding of this powerful treatment approach.
Check out Part 1 if you missed it!
Now we’re back for Part 2 to answer even more pressing questions! As a refresher, I’ll start by explaining what EMDR is and how it works, then dive into more of the most common questions and concerns.
Table of Contents
What Is EMDR?
What Does EMDR Stand For?
What Are the 8 Phases of EMDR?
Can EMDR Be Done Online?
What Symptoms Does EMDR Help With?
What Are The Side Effects Of Emdr?
Will I Feel Out Of Control?
What If I Don’t Want To Get Rid Of A Memory?
How Is EMDR Different To Talk Therapy?
What If I Don’t Have Any Big, Traumatic Memories?
When Is EMDR Therapy Appropriate?
Is There An EMDR Book To Learn More?
What Are The Benefits Of EMDR?
What is EMDR?
EMDR (Eye-Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) is a therapeutic approach that helps to release and reprocess fragmented information from your nervous system. It’s one of the most empirically validated and well-researched trauma treatments.
While it was originally developed for PTSD, it can also effectively treat a wide range of symptoms, including panic, anxiety, depression, and chronic pain.
When you experience something traumatic or disturbing, the original image, thoughts, feeling, body sensations, and even sounds can get locked in your brain. If you’re unable to properly process this information, it gets stuck in your nervous system and memory networks.
It’s one of the reasons it can feel like we’re reliving a traumatic (or embarrassing, upsetting, unhappy) experience when we think about it or if it pops up on its own. Your current experience is being filtered through that fragmented memory.
What does EMDR stand for?
EM – Eye-Movement (moving your eyes back and forth)
D – Desensitization (decreasing the intensity of a memory and desensitizing you to the experience)
R – Reprocessing (bringing a new, present-day perspective to your memory so you can have healthier, more positive self-beliefs)
What are the 8 Phases of EMDR?
History Taking
Client Preparation
Assessment
Desensitization
Installation
Body Scan
Closure
Reevaluation of Treatment Effect
In Phase 1 history taking, I’ll gather history so we can collaboratively decide what memories to work on. The memory we pick will be based on symptoms you’re currently experience. For example, if you have trouble asking for help, you may have an old memory of a parent shaming you for asking for help.
In Phase 2, I’ll provide education and expectations for our work together. This will include teaching important information about the brain, trauma and the nervous system. You’ll also learn relaxation and containment exercises.
When it’s time to process your memory, Phase 3 begins by examining specific components of your memory. This includes things like emotions, body sensations, or negative self-talk. We then move into Phase 4, using bilateral stimulation (eye movements, tapping, or tones) to desensitize you to your memory.
Once you’re completely desensitized, Phase 5 will consist of installing a healthier and more adaptive self-belief. Phase 6 is a body scan to ensure your system is clear of the memory, and Phase 7 is closure.
During Phase 8, we’ll check our work: Have your symptoms decreased or disappeared? Are you experiencing this memory in a different way? We then look at other related memories and if applicable, begin looking at another target.
Can EMDR be done online?
Yes! EMDR can be done online, it just looks a little different from in-person.
Instead of following the hand of your therapist back and forth, you will move your eyes by either following a dot on the screen or between two objects on either side of your screen.
Alternatively, you can self-administer bilateral stimulation using the butterfly hug (also known as tapping): cross your arms so that each hand touches the opposite shoulder or arm, then tap your fingers in an alternating rhythm.
Related: How to Make Online Therapy Better
What symptoms does EMDR help with?
EMDR has been shown to be effective for a wide variety of symptoms, not just PTSD or severe mental health concerns. This can include things like, phobias, people pleasing, perfectionism, and even chronic pain.
For a list of recent EMDR research and its treatment effects, please visit the EMDR International Association’s research articles.
You can also visit my EMDR page for a list of specialties I work with.
What are the side effects of EMDR?
Between sessions, you may have more vivid dreams or remember things you haven’t thought about in a long time. You may also experience some disturbing or heightened emotions.
Grounding and relaxation strategies from Phase 2 Resourcing will help you manage any upsetting feelings or thoughts that might pop up so that you can manage it in a helpful and contained way. This can prevent any major disruptions to your everyday life.
You’ll use your relaxation techniques daily and also keep a log between sessions to write down anything disturbing or interesting that shows up.
Will I feel out of control?
You are awake and in control the entire time.
Your main job is to briefly describe what you’re noticing as it’s happening, without judging whether or not it “should” be happening. Occasionally intense material can present itself and while we can never truly control what shows up, we can control how we respond to it.
Each processing session is closed with a grounding or relaxation exercise so that you never leave session dysregulated.
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What if I don’t want to get rid of a memory?
Memories can’t be implanted, nor erased. The goal of EMDR is to lower the volume of your symptoms and bring a new perspective to old events, not change the memory itself. While our recollections of events may change over time, EMDR will not erase of your memories.
How is EMDR different to talk therapy?
EMDR includes some elements of traditional talk therapy. The first few sessions consist of gathering history, discussing symptoms you’re currently experiencing, and practicing helpful coping strategies, much like you would experience in traditional talk therapy.
Once a specific memory is picked for processing, EMDR sessions start to look quite different from talk therapy. You’ll start by focusing on the memory, then do a set of eye-movements, stop briefly to discuss what you noticed, and then resume eye-movements.
The eye-movements (or tapping) help your brain connect memories, create new insights, and help you move toward healing.
What if I don’t have any big, traumatic memories?
You don’t need to have a big, traumatic memory for EMDR to be helpful.
While EMDR is very effective for “bigger” memories like a car wreck or loved one’s death, it’s also effective for “smaller” upsetting memories. This could be things like messing up a school presentation, constantly being told no, or feeling left out of social situations.
While these may not feel particularly damaging or traumatic, it’s possible to still carry around the negative remnants of these experiences.
When is EMDR therapy appropriate?
Whenever you notice a pattern that seems completely ingrained, for instance a pervasive feeling of unworthiness or self-sabotaging behavior, that you don’t understand. This can be a great place to use EMDR.
This is because that original experience of feeling unworthy may have become trapped in your nervous system. EMDR can potentially stimulate and reprocess that information in a way traditional talk therapy may not be able to.
Is there an EMDR book to learn more?
Yes! Francine Shapiro discovered EMDR and wrote a book called, Getting Past Your Past: Take Control of Your Life with Self-Help Techniques from EMDR Therapy.
This is meant for the public, rather than therapists. It’s a deep dive into how the process works, how to recognize unhelpful patterns, and how to self-administer EMDR techniques.
Disclaimer: this book is best used for educational purposes. It is recommended you consult an EMDR-trained therapist before attempting to resolve traumatic material.
what are the benefits of EMDR?
Benefit 1: reduce intensity of symptoms
EMDR can help reduce the severity and intensity of your negative symptoms by releasing this information from your nervous system. While these symptoms may remain present, they will seem much quieter, more insignificant, and won’t feel as draining.
EMDR changes your experience by turning down the volume. So even if you recognize something is there, it will no longer have the same intense impact as it used to.
Benefit 2: New perspective and new information
As you process and release stuck memories, you get the amazing benefit of examining them with your present-day, adult lens. When disturbing memories get locked in our systems, childlike notions of responsibility, control, or safety can lock in as well.
My clients have experienced such interesting and profound insights into past events. By removing the veil of disturbance, we’re able to access new information that was previously unavailable. This sometimes looks like making connections, remember details they’d forgotten, and letting go of anger and resentment.
Seeing old events in a different light allows us to create space for new experiences.
Benefit 3: healthier, more adaptive self-talk
Once you have been desensitized to your memory, we’re then able to install more helpful, adaptive self-believes that apply to a wide range of experiences. Healthier self-talk can improve mood, build confidence, and deepen relationships.
Negative experiences have an enormous impact on our internal dialogue. Most of our negative self-talk can derive from our relationships, conflict, or traumatic events. EMDR can help change the perspective a person has about themselves.
When we think more kindly of ourselves, we’re better able to create and hold boundaries, manage conflict, and connect with others.
