EMDR
EMDR stands for Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing. People often are curious about what EMDR is and what it looks like, having been told they should look into it from a physician or another provider, or learned about it from an article, a show, or seeing something online. This is heartening, as for a long time EMDR was either totally under the radar or dismissed as “hocus pocus”. However, I have learned that even those who are making the referrals may not entirely understand EMDR and how it works.
EMDR is an intensive form of treatment that can lead to a radical shift in how one lives in the world. It is not a “technique” or gimmick, but rather a therapeutic framework that provides a map for approaching trauma work with clients who are suffering. It is important that anybody seeking EMDR understands a few fundamental concepts.
One part of EMDR is the use of eye movements during a “reprocessing” session (what people usually mean when they say EMDR). We also call this “BLS” or bilateral-stimulation. But in a sense, if you are working with an EMDR therapist, you are getting the benefit of the approach. Feel free to ask me more about this.
Most of the research on EMDR has focused on eye movements. However, many clinicians use tapping (on both knees, for example), along with devices that buzz, pulse, and make tones through earphones. These are all forms of BLS and are a core part of how EMDR works.
EMDR may not be used for some time when working with clients who have complex and chronic, developmental trauma from childhood. EMDR can destabilize anyone who does not have enough support and resources in their lives, and it is important to discuss with this therapist whether you should be concerned.
EMDR does not erase memory, but it does change a person’s relationship to their past. Traumatic memories are often tightly bound to painful burdens and beliefs about oneself, typically related to shame, guilt, powerlessness, loss of control, and feelings of being irreparably damaged or not doing enough in a given situation. These feelings can underlie challenges in one’s relationships and overall capacity to function on a day to day basis.
Some part of the mind seems to get stuck, like a scratched record on a player, skipping and playing again and again. Sometimes it is pretty clear what the mind is stuck on, while other times, people don’t fully understand how their experiences in the past may be related to current difficulties. Either way, EMDR is appropriate.
EMDR has the capacity to give sufferers a sense of peacefulness and clarity about their past that they may not be able to come by through traditional talk therapy. Through EMDR my clients often report a sense of relief as they start to have a “felt sense” (believing in a deep way, with their entire self) that what happened is in the past, and that the memory can no longer harm them. Further, they often spontaneously resolve negative belief systems that may have kept them hostage for much of their lives, and start to see themselves through a more compassionate and balanced point of view.
If you would like to learn more, I would encourage you to start with the following two websites. These are official sources of information about EMDR, and can be trusted.