What is EMDR Therapy?
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR Therapy) is a powerful psychotherapy model. To date, EMDR Therapy has helped an estimated half a million people of all ages relieve many types of psychological distress. Developed primarily to address the impact of trauma, particularly Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, it is also now being used effectively for many other problems as well as performance enhancement with clients such as actors, athletes and individuals in management. Eye Movement Desensitization & Reprocessing is a powerful psychotherapy model.
How does EMDR Therapy work?
No one knows exactly how EMDR Therapy works. However, we do know that when a person is very upset, their brain cannot process information as it does ordinarily. One moment becomes “frozen in time,” and, remembering a trauma may feel as bad as going through it the first time because the images, sounds, and smells, and feelings haven’t changed. It’s like reliving the past in the present. Such memories can have a lasting negative effect on the way a person sees the world and relates to other people that interferes with her or his life. EMDR Therapy seems to have a direct effect on the way that the brain functions. Normal information processing is resumed, so following a successful EMDR Therapy session, the images, sounds, and feelings no longer are relived when the event is brought to mind. What happened is still remembered (we can’t change history) but it is less upsetting. Many types of therapy have similar goals. However, EMDR Therapy appears to be similar to what occurs naturally during dreaming or REM (rapid eye movement) sleep. Therefore, EMDR Therapy can be thought of a physiologically based therapy that helps a person see disturbing material in a new and less distressing way.
How long does EMDR Therapy take?
One or more sessions are required for the therapist to understand the nature of the problem and to decide whether EMDR Therapy is an appropriate treatment. The therapist will also discuss EMDR Therapy more fully and provide an opportunity to answer any questions about the method. Once the therapist and the client have agreed that EMDR Therapy is appropriate for a specific problem, the actual EMDR Therapy may begin. A typical EMDR Therapy session lasts about 60-90 minutes. The type of problem, life circumstances, and the amount of previous trauma will determine how many treatment sessions are necessary.
What kind of problems can EMDR Therapy treat?
Scientific research has established EMDR Therapy as effective for Posttraumatic stress. However, clinicians have reported success using EMDR Therapy in treatment of the following conditions: