What is EMDR?
EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) is a form of psychotherapy that allows people to heal from emotional issues caused by challenging life situations. Studies have shown that EMDR can greatly speed up benefits of psychotherapy treatment that in the past would typically take much longer to show results. EMDR demonstrates the idea that the brain has a natural healing process that can become blocked from experiencing disturbing events, therefore emotional suffering can occur. Once this blockage is removed, the brain will be able to heal again.
Successful EMDR treatment can allow you to change the meaning of painful experiences. Instead of talk based therapy, we will aid you in receiving results from your own emotional processes. Through EMDR treatment at TMH, we can help you activate your brain’s natural healing process to find peace and clarity.
EMDR is an eight-phase treatment:
History: identification of potential targets for EMDR focus
Preparation: an image that elicits comforting feelings/a safe space
Assessment: visualizing an image representing the traumatic event, a negative cognition, and a positive cognition
Desensitization: sets of eye movements or bilateral stimulation begin (BLS), patient notices what body, memory, and brain are bringing up
Installation: installing positive cognition
Body scan: mentally scanning body to find any sensations blocking target
Closure: patient keeps a log during the week
Reevaluation: examining the progress made