EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization & Reprocessing)
This technique works with restructuring thought patterns and associations related to traumatic events and memories and other sources of emotional distress. The method was developed by Francine Shapiro when she discovered that rapid eye movements combined with focusing on disturbing thoughts and memories produced a lessening of the disturbance.
Description of EMDR therapy
According to Shapiro’s theory, when a traumatic or distressing experience occurs, it may overwhelm usual ways of coping and be inadequately processed; it is then stored dysfunctionally in an isolated memory network. When this memory network is activated, the individual may re-experience aspects of the original event, often resulting in inappropriate overreactions. This explains why people who have experienced or witnessed a traumatic incident may have recurring sensory flashbacks, thoughts, beliefs, or dreams. Any incident stored in this “raw” unprocessed way can retain high levels of intensity, even though many years may have passed.
EMDR uses a structured eight-phase approach and addresses the past, present, and future aspects of the dysfunctionally stored memory. During the processing phases of EMDR, the client attends to the disturbing memory in several brief sets of about 15-30 seconds, while simultaneously focusing on a secondary but simultaneous attention stimulus for example the therapist-directed lateral eye movements, alternate hand-tapping, or bilateral auditory tones.
Following each set of such dual attention, the client is asked what associative information was elicited during the procedure. This new information usually becomes the focus of the next brief set. This process of alternating dual attention and personal association is repeated many times during the session.
EMDR works directly with memory networks and enhances information processing by forging associations between the distressing memory and more adaptive information contained in other memory networks. It is thought that the distressing memory is transformed when new connections are forged with more positive and realistic information. This results in the change of the emotional, sensory, and cognitive components of the memory so that, when it is accessed, the individual is no longer distressed as previously. Instead he/she recalls the incident with a new perspective, new insight, resolution of the cognitive distortions, elimination of emotional distress, and relief of related physiological arousal.
When the distressing or traumatic event is an isolated incident, the symptoms can often be cleared with one to three EMDR sessions. But when multiple traumatic events contribute to a health problem - such as physical, sexual, or emotional abuse, parental neglect, severe illness, accident, injury, or health-related trauma that result in chronic impairment to health and well-being - the time to heal may be longer.
Therapy process
� Phase I: In the first sessions, the patient’s history and an overall treatment plan are discussed. During this process the therapist identifies and clarifies potential targets for EMDR. (Target refers to a disturbing issue, event, feeling, or memory for use as an initial focus for EMDR.)
� Phase II: Before beginning EMDR for the first time, it is usually recommended that the client identify a safe place, an image or memory that elicits comfortable feelings and a positive sense of self. This safe place can be used later to bring closure to an incomplete session or to help a client tolerate a particularly upsetting session.
� Phase III: In developing a target for EMDR, prior to beginning the eye movements, a snapshot mental image is identified that represents the target and the disturbance associated with it. Using that image is a way to help the client focus on the target, a negative cognition (NC) is identified - a negative statement about the self that feels especially true when the client focuses on the target image. A positive cognition (PC) is also identified - a positive self-statement that is preferable to the negative cognition.
� Phase IV: The therapist asks the patient to focus simultaneously on the image, the negative cognition, and the disturbing emotion or body sensation. Then the therapist usually asks the client to follow a moving object with his eyes; the object moves alternately from side to side so that the client’s eyes also move back and forth. After a set of eye movements, the client is asked to report briefly on what has come up; this may be a thought, a feeling, a physical sensation, an image, a memory, or a change in any one of the above. In the initial instructions to the client the therapist asks him/her to focus on this thought and begins a new set of eye movements. Under certain conditions, however, the therapist directs the client to focus on the original target memory or on some other image, thought, feeling, fantasy, physical sensation, or memory. From time to time the therapist may query the client about his current level of distress.
EMDR also uses a three-pronged approach, to address past, present and future aspects of the targeted memory.
treatment-now.com has access to excellent EMDR therapists and we also work with some residential treatment centres who use EMDR as part of the addiction and psychological treatment programme and have identified excellent positive outcomes for their patients.
Contact treatment-now.com on 0207 100 9931 for further information