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EMDR is an anacronym that stands for Eye Movement Desensitization & Reprocessing. It is highly recognizable within the therapeutic community, but most people are unfamiliar with it as a therapeutic intervention. It is an evidence-based modality. It’s backed by over 40 years of research, and it is recognized as an effective, evidenced-based treatment for trauma-related struggles by many US and International accrediting organizations, like The American Psychiatric Association, The VA and Department of Defense, and World Health Organization.

When a traumatic or disturbing event occurs, our brain’s communication between the two hemispheres is often disrupted, thus causing a traumatic reaction resulting in subsequent triggers/symptoms. EMDR is a a systematic method to address these difficult experiences. The “eye movement” part of EMDR is an action that stimulates the brain in a bilateral way. In other words, both hemispheres of the brain are stimulated in a manner so that both hemispheres work together to reprocess an event. When guided by a trained therapist, EMDR will desensitize the event so that is has no disturbance of becomes neutral. EMDR helps our brain heal itself by developing new neural pathways, and reduce the distress and negative cognition associated with the trauma.

EMDR is not hypnosis or a form of meditation. Many people wonder about this aspect of the therapy. It does not conflict with Biblical truth. In fact, I’ve seen it strengthen people’s spiritual beliefs. If this is a concern then please let me know, and we’ll talk about it together. We can integrate your spiritual beliefs into the EMDR process as little or as much as you’d like. For example, we can pray together at the beginning and/or end of the session.

EMDR therapy doesn't require talking in detail about a distressing issue. EMDR instead focuses on changing the emotions, thoughts or behaviors that result from a distressing experience (trauma). This allows your brain to resume a natural healing process. Again, EMDR stimulates your brain’s natural ability to reprocess events so that there is no long an experienced disturbance.

EMDR is different from other forms of counseling than you may have had in the past. It is very structured, and I practice EMDR to the fidelity of the model. There is a process that includes 8 phases. First, I will spend time building rapport, gathering a thorough history, and developing a treatment plan. If you are a good fit for EMDR and you decide to participate, we will proceed to the second phase of the EMDR process. I will help you develop resources that will be useful during the EMDR process. We will strengthen positive and calming resources which can be used throughout treatment, and they can also be use in everyday life. Above all, it is important to me that you feel safe. Please let me know at anytime you need to pause, stop, or slow-down. Keep in mind that you are in complete control while actively reprocessing difficulties.

As mentioned before, the EMDR process will include bilateral stimulation. It’s important to help stimulate both side of the brain so that more adaptive patterns of thought can be accessed, and then connected to the less adaptive ways of thinking and feeling. Bilateral stimulation can occur through the client following my fingers with eye movements, use of hand movements, alternating audio tunes, or alternating hand buzzers. We’ll find out what works best for you.

When we start to actively reprocess, I will ask for brief feedback but you will not be instructed to go in depth about the actual event, as other trauma related therapies require. This can help the client feel safer since they are not required to fully relive the experience and will enable to the brain to continue processing more easily.

If we follow the fidelity of the model, we will be able to predict with a high degree of certainty that thoughts, feelings, and bodily experience associated with events will become neutralized, and no longer hold a disturbance for the person. Once a target is desensitized, we will install positive beliefs that will be associated with the events. To be sure that we have addressed all important aspects, we will re-evaluate the results of the reprocess to be sure that the new perspective has remained stable over time.