What is EMDR?

EMDR stands for Eye Movement Desensitization and Re-Processing. EMDR is an evidence-based therapy that has been extensively researched including 20+ randomized control studies. Its been proven to help people recover from emotional distress as a result of trauma or various other life stressors including anxiety, depression, eating disorders, attachment wounds, and somatic symptoms including those from chronic pain and/or illness.

It uses eye movements to help regulate your nervous system while accessing the target memory or sensation in order to help desensitize and then reprocess in a more adaptive way. It doesn’t cause you to “forget” or “make up” memories, it is meant to desensitize the overload on your nervous system to allow you to stay fully present and in control when there is a possible trigger.

There are 3 prongs:

1. Past memories/disturbances

2. Present problems

3. Future actions/responses.

There are 8 phases:

• Phase 1: History taking and assessment (can take several sessions)

• Phase 2: Preparation (skill building, resourcing, identify targets)

• Phase 3: Assessment of identified target to be reprocessed that session (beginning of processing sessions)

• Phase 4: Desensitization to the target

• Phase 5: Instillation of the positive belief

• Phase 6: Body scan to address any residual somatic symptoms

• Phase 7: Closure of the session

• Phase 8: Reevaluation (opens every new processing session, as well as when moving from one prong to another)

Interested in doing EMDR? Want to work with me? Click Here for more info.

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