Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) is an approach to psychotherapy that has been practiced in the US and around the world for the past 20 years.
It integrates many of the successful elements of a range of therapeutic approaches, yet there are aspects of EMDR are unique: In particular, the therapist leads a patient in a series of lateral eye movements while the patient simultaneously focuses on various aspects of a disturbing memory. The left – right eye movements in EMDR are a form of “bilateral stimulation.” Other forms of bilateral stimulation used by EMDR therapists include alternating bilateral sound using headphones and alternating tactile simulation using a handheld device that vibrates or taps to the back of the patient’s hands.
EMDR is applicable for a wide range of psychological problems that result from overwhelming life experiences. During the processing of difficult memories, a person who has been abandoned by a spouse may come to realize that she is loveable and no longer be overwhelmed by negative feelings about herself or participate in unproductive behaviors stemming from those feelings. A person fearful of driving due to a terrible car accident in the past, may end the session feeling safe to drive again.
The therapeutic effects of bilateral stimulation were discovered by Francine Shapiro, Ph.D., who grasped their power in psychotherapy. Dr. Shapiro found—quite by accident—that emotional and behavioral symptoms resulting from disturbing experiences tend to resolve naturally when a person allows him/ herself to recall various elements of a memory while engaging in bilateral stimulation such as lateral eye-movements. Dr. Shapiro and her associates developed a number of procedures for coordinating this “dual awareness.” The procedures have been refined and validated through controlled research at several centers around the world. Precise and careful use of these procedures can lead to a safe processing of memories, such that the negative thoughts and emotions disappear.
More than a set of “techniques,” the EMDR approach provides a model for understanding human potential, including how positive experiences support adaptive living, or psychological health, and how upsetting experiences can sometimes lead to psychological problems that interfere with a person’s ability to meet life challenges. The EMDR protocol guides Clinicians in careful assessment and preparation work, particularly for persons with histories of multiple traumas. EMDR procedures should only be used by a fully trained EMDR clinician, who holds license the mental health field.
“EMDR is one of the most powerful tools I’ve encountered for treating post-traumatic stress. In the hands of a competent and compassionate therapist, it gives people the means to heal themselves.”
Steven Silver, Ph.D.
Director of the PTSD Unit, Veterans Admin. Medical Center, Coatesville, Penn.
Behind EMDR:
The core of EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing Therapy) treatment involves activating components of the traumatic memory or disturbing life event and pairing those components with alternating bilateral or dual attention stimulation. This process appears to facilitate the resumption of normal and adaptive information processing and integration in the brain. This treatment approach can result in the alleviation of presenting symptoms, lessening of distress from the memory, improved view of the self, relief from bodily disturbance, and resolution of present and future anticipated triggers. EMDR has become invaluable for psychotherapists of all major orientations, including psychoanalytic, psychodynamic, cognitive/behavioral, and experiential/gestalt. It is a psychotherapy approach which is readily integrated into one’s clinical practice and can be learned in a modest period of time.
Research and International Accreditation for EMDR:
Research in over 20 randomized controlled studies has been conducted on EMDR in the treatment of trauma, as well as hundreds of published case studies evaluating a range of presenting complaints, including depression, anxiety, phobias, excessive grief, somatic conditions and addictions. The American Psychiatric Association (2004) designated EMDR as an effective treatment for trauma. The US Department of Defense and the Department of Veterans Affairs have placed EMDR in the ‘A’ category as “strongly recommended” for the treatment of trauma. The World Health Organization has recently released guidelines on conditions related to stress recommending EMDR for children, adolescents and adults with PTSD. “Like Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) with a trauma focus, EMDR therapy aims to reduce subjective distress and strengthen adaptive cognitions related to the traumatic event. Unlike CBT, with a trauma focus, EMDR does not involve (a) detailed descriptions of the event, (b) direct challenging of the beliefs, (c) extended exposure, nor (d) homework.”
The International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies (2008) practice guidelines ranked EMDR as an evidence-based Level A treatment for posttraumatic stress disorder in adults. Internationally, EMDR has received recommendations for the treatment of trauma by the mental health departments of Northern Ireland, United Kingdom, France, Sweden, Israel and more.