EMDR stands for Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing therapy. EMDR is an evidence-based therapy for the treatment of PTSD and symptoms of trauma. It has been endorsed by Phoenix Australia and the World Health Organisation for the treatment of trauma. EMDR has traditionally been used for PTSD and processing traumatic experiences, and is now also being researched in the application with other difficulties such as grief, pain, anxiety disorders, OCD, and more.
EMDR focuses on processing traumatic memories (and the associated emotions, beliefs, and sensations) that are contributing to a person’s difficulties or symptoms. During stressful or traumatic situations, memories and incidents can become ‘stuck’ and are not processed and filed away in the same way that other day-to-day memories are. In EMDR therapy, carefully and deliberately processing those memories allows them to come to a more adaptive resolution and to cause less distress and disruption to a person’s life.
The roots of EMDR were first discovered by Francine Shapiro on her famous ‘walk in the park’ where she noticed that doing bilateral eye movements reduced the emotional charge of unpleasant experiences she was navigating at that time in her life. From this discovery, she began experimenting with the eye movements, and from there developed the therapy and its underlying theory – the Adaptive Information Processing model. EMDR has since been studied extensively using scientifically validated methods.
EMDR therapy involves eight phases which make up both the therapist’s assessment and the ‘therapy’ itself. These eight phases are: history taking and assessment, procedural preparation, target assessment, desensitisation, installation, the body scan, closure, and re-evaluation. The length of time needed for these eight phases will be different for each client. For example, some clients may benefit from additional preparation (in the ‘procedural preparation’ stage) to assist with stabilisation (that is, feeling more ready and equipped to process the trauma).
EMDR is not a single technique or strategy; it is a whole therapy in and of itself. It cannot be implemented ‘on the fly’, or without adequate preparation. EMDR is distinct to other traditional talking therapies in its theoretical basis and application, but it also works beautifully alongside these therapies to provide a framework and understanding for a client’s experience. For example, schema therapy provides an excellent framework for describing a client’s core beliefs about themselves, others, and the world. Therapists will therefore often ‘borrow’ elements of other therapies to use alongside EMDR to help with understanding their client and, collaboratively with their client, to bring together the parts of their story that have led them to seek help.
If you would like to learn more about EMDR, the EMDR Association of Australia website provides information to health professionals and the public. An excellent book for learning more about EMDR from the perspective of a client and a therapist is the book ‘Every Memory Deserves Respect’. For psychologists, Kendall also highly recommends the EMDR Therapist Training by Graham Taylor.
If you are interested in EMDR therapy, enquiries can be made to reception@curiousmindsstudio.com.au