Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing Therapy, or EMDR, is used for individuals who have experienced severe trauma, enabling them to recover from the symptoms and emotional distress resulting from those traumatic life experiences.
EMDR has been proven through rigorous research to be one of the most effective treatment models for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Trauma Focussed CBT and Exposure Therapy are also proven, effective therapeutic models. EMDR has been verified as an effective treatment for PTSD and meets criteria for evidence-based practice in the UK by the National Institute for Clinical Excellence (2005), in Australia by the Australian Centre for Posttraumatic Mental Health (2013).
EMDR therapy demonstrates that the mind can recover from psychological trauma much as the body heals from physical trauma. Following training on detailed EMDR protocols and procedures, a psychologist can help clients activate their natural healing processes, alleviate the symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and allow them to develop more adaptive coping mechanisms.
EMDR looks at emotions, physical sensations, thoughts and beliefs altogether. Following a structured eight-phase protocol, desensitisation begins with the individual’s attention being directed to the chosen target memory, negative beliefs, and body sensations while following the therapist fingers moving from side to side. Following a set of eye movements, the therapist asks the client to report what they notice now; they are then asked to either focus of what had emerged, on a body sensation or their level of distress. When distress has reduced to 0 or 1 (on a scale of 10), a preferred positive belief statement is installed with more sets of eye movements, until the positive statement is rated as highly believable. Any residual sensations are then desensitised with eye movements until there are no longer present.
During EMDR counselling sessions the individual is encouraged to “let whatever happens happen and just notice” so that freely-associated memories enter into the mind. It allows processing to take place allowing the memories to be consolidated and put into historical context. EMDR treatment encourages distancing effects that are considered effective processing of the memory; this means the memory is no longer as vivid and felt with such emotional and physical intensity.