EMDR Therapy
What Is Eye Movement Desensitization And
Reprocessing (EMDR) Therapy?
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) is a form of therapy used to treat trauma and other mental health challenges. Using bilateral stimulation—or side-to-side auditory, visual, or touch-based cues—EMDR allows people to clear the unresolved psychological pain keeping them stuck in unhealthy patterns. Though primarily a trauma treatment, EMDR is helpful for a wide range of issues, including anxiety, depression, and interpersonal challenges.
The History And Efficacy Of EMDR
Rapid eye movement and desensitization therapy was first discovered by Dr. Francine Shapiro in 1987. While taking a walk in the park one day, Dr. Shapiro recalled an upsetting memory and noticed that her mental distress strongly correlated with where her eyes moved. As she experimented more with eye movement and bilateral stimulation, Dr. Shapiro developed a therapeutic procedure that we now know as desensitization—or the neutralizing of disturbing memories. Thus, EMDR was born.
Since its development in the late eighties, EMDR has become a leading therapy method. Many studies have been done to verify its efficacy, and a range of organizations—from the American Psychological Association (APA) to the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA)—have embraced EMDR as a dominant trauma-informed approach.[1]
Today, EMDR is used in a variety of therapeutic treatments. For clients struggling with post-traumatic stress, EMDR is useful in neutralizing disturbing or disruptive memories. And for those battling anxiety, depression, conflict in their relationships, or other setbacks to their mental health, EMDR is hugely instrumental in identifying and overcoming the core trauma that leads to secondary symptoms.
How Is EMDR Different From Other Counseling Methods?
Though cognitive and behavioral talk therapy approaches are often integrated into EMDR sessions, EMDR itself is “the magic wand” of therapeutic treatment. Instead of targeting surface-level symptoms, EMDR actually rewires the brain’s neural pathways, clearing the blockages created by trauma that have been stored inside the body for weeks, months, or years.
Not to mention, EMDR is relatively nonverbal as a counseling method. Instead of being asked to discuss their trauma at length, clients using EMDR are guided in identifying a target memory and using bilateral stimulation to neutralize it. As such, EMDR is an incredibly gentle therapy, and because it does not require a lot of verbal processing, it’s less likely than other approaches to re-traumatize clients in counseling.
The EMDR Process
There are eight phases in EMDR treatment:
History taking – a client goes over their history, presenting symptoms, and goals for therapy.
Preparing the client – the therapist addresses the objectives of EMDR treatment, describing the process and answering any questions the client has.
Assessing a target memory – the therapist guides the client in identifying a target memory or image that they want to desensitize.
– 7. Processing the memory to adaptive resolution – using bilateral stimulation (lights, finger movements, audio, or tapping), the therapist activates both sides of the brain, repeating patterns until the memory is effectively neutralized.
8. Evaluation – the client is asked to assess their physical, emotional, and psychological response to the target memory with the goal of replacing all of their negative associations with neutral or positive ones.
Painful memories are typically neutralized within the span of one intensive session (or one to three 50-minute sessions), giving clients an opportunity to reduce the distress and uncomfortable symptoms associated with their trauma. Oftentimes, clients only need to complete one full round of EMDR therapy per memory to feel lasting relief from unprocessed trauma.
EMDR Can Change Your Brain And Trauma Response
EMDR is a highly effective form of therapy that can promote permanent healing on a deep level. To find out more about how the clinicians at EMDR Therapy Solutions can help you address trauma, anxiety, depression, and other setbacks to your mental health, contact us for a free consultation. And for information about our scheduling options, we invite you to visit our EMDR Intensives page or EMDR Consultation (for therapists) page.
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EMDR therapy addresses both the physical and psychological symptoms that arise due to adverse life experiences. Aside from helping with trauma, EMDR is also a treatment method that benefits those dealing with depression, anxiety, grief, loss, infidelity, and betrayal.
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EMDR intensives can shorten the length of the overall treatment process and allow you to work through the symptoms you’re experiencing faster and more effectively than normal weekly sessions. Not only do you avoid the interruption between individual 45-minute sessions, but you also bypass the time spent on checking in at the start of each weekly session or addressing any current concerns. Moreover, a single EMDR session typically focuses on coping skills and stabilization at the end of each session to help you regain composure, which is not necessary with an intensive.
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Yes. We offer EMDR intensives in adjusted formats and modified pricing for current clients.
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Of course! You may be aware that something still needs to change profoundly to help you shift fully into a new experience of yourself, but perhaps you’re not exactly sure how you can accomplish this with your present therapist. We will help you identify which format of treatment works best for your needs during our initial consultation.
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Offering a number of resources, a half-day EMDR intensive can help you substantially reduce the destructive effects of a single traumatic event, such as disturbing emotions, negative cognitions, and unsettling body sensations. Please keep in mind, though, that while you can experience significant healing during one half-day EMDR intensive, Complex PTSD typically requires more time to heal than a half-day intensive can provide. Many people with Complex PTSD may need continuous monthly, bi-monthly, or quarterly half-day intensives to work through their trauma history.
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A 3-day EMDR intensive can more efficiently help you achieve impactful changes than just participating in regular weekly, 45-minute sessions or a single half-day intensive. During our initial consultation, we can identify which format would be best for your needs.
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Depending on your insurance, you may receive help paying for the cost of psychotherapy, as some insurance companies reimburse a substantial portion of mental health treatments. We can provide you with a Superbill, detailing all direct contact therapy services that are included in the EMDR intensive program. You can then submit this bill to your insurance provider for potential reimbursement.
Is EMDR Intensive Therapy the Right Choice for You?
EMDR At Our Practice
EMDR Therapy Solutions is primarily an EMDR practice. Though we incorporate other evidence-based cognitive and talk therapies into our approach, we believe that EMDR promotes deep and lasting healing where other methods fall short.
Our practice founder, Kelly Chisholm, has incorporated EMDR into her practice since becoming a licensed counselor. And she is even certified through the renowned EMDR International Association (EMDRIA) as a consultant for therapists looking to incorporate this modality into their practice.
We have different scheduling options for clients based on their presenting concerns and goals for EMDR therapy. Intensive sessions are available to those looking to spend back-to-back hours or multiple days addressing their trauma. And we offer online services to clients throughout New Mexico, Colorado, and Arizona.
Our clients have struggled with everything from PTSD to anxiety to depression to setbacks in their relationships. Some come to us after surviving an accident or mourning a sudden death, while others have spent years suffering from the unprocessed trauma of child abuse. For these individuals, hope and a sense of relief often feel too far out of their reach. Yet, with treatment at EMDR Therapy Solutions, they have been able to find peace. Once they are able to clear the mental, physical, and emotional blocks created by their trauma, they can finally feel free to grow, heal, and move forward in their lives.
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