EMDR is…complicated, But Game-Changing.
I have yet to master the elevator-pitch version of describing EMDR, which stands for Eye Movement Desensitization & Reprocessing. It feels like trying to describe the Sistine Chapel ceiling in 100 words or less; there’s too much good to mention! With that, this is going to be my best attempt at harnessing EMDR’s healing power in one website page.
Remember how I said we all have a story? EMDR is about digesting that story - organizing the experiences so that when we are in the present moment, we are responding to it appropriately instead of overreacting (or under-reacting) out of painful wounds in our past.
The basis of the therapy model is that memory networks and the way they are stored in the human system (head, heart, spirit, & body) create the way the world is experienced. A combination of our genetic predisposition and our experiences create these memory networks, and these are the sources of dysfunction as well as resources for health.
In EMDR therapy, there are specific protocols to help access the way these memory networks are currently stored and then move them from a place of emotional activation to a more logical, rational place. This movement of activation has been documented in research done with imaging neurobiological changes in an EMDR session. (Pagani, M. 2014)
When something profoundly overwhelming (or “traumatic”) happens to us, it gets stored in the brain without a time and date stamp. The person who has a traumatic experience can feel like that traumatic event is about to happen at any moment or is currently happening. EMDR changes the way those traumatic memories are stored, so the human system can know and feel that the event is actually in the past. The things that happen in the present, which previously triggered an emotional activation because they remind the person of the past traumatic event, no longer have the same “charge”. Thus, the person can be more present and just react to whatever is actually happening now, nothing more or less.
EMDR is all about accessing those challenging memories from the past (this can even be done with clients who cannot recall a specific traumatic event in their life), and allowing the client’s system to reprocess the memories. The client remains present, instead of fully regressing to the past as one would do under hypnosis. The client allows the challenging memories to be reprocessed, without trying to manage or control their reprocessing experience (this can be the hardest part for some). The client’s system is in charge, and it is a self-healing mechanism that knows what it’s doing. EMDR protocol is all about letting that mechanism do its work, and it will let us know when its work is complete. By the end of the EMDR therapy process, the majority of my clients express a decrease in their symptomatic concerns, an increased ability to stay grounded in the present moment, and a richer life experience as a result of their hard work.
EMDR FAQ
Here are my most frequently asked questions about EMDR that aren’t answered in the above description:
What happens in an EMDR session?
EMDR has eight phases to it, and every phase plays out as a slightly different kind of therapy session than the other phases. We start with a lot of talking. Then, we get to some experiential/role play sessions. Then, we get to some mindfulness sessions. Then, we get to sessions where you experience bilateral stimulation in order to induce your system’s processing mechanism. Which brings me to the next question…
What is bilateral stimulation, and why is it used in EMDR?
Bilateral stimulation is interchanging stimulation on either side of the body. Most clients prefer either audio bilateral with headphones, or tactile bilateral with vibrating pulsers to hold in each hand. The headphones beep back and forth in each ear, and the pulsers vibrate back and forth in each hand. We use bilateral stimulation in EMDR because research shows that, for whatever reason, our system’s data processing mechanism is connected to bilateral stimulation. This is why our eyes move back and forth during REM sleep while we dream: that’s when our systems are processing the data of the previous day. EMDR is all about starting up that processing train via bilateral stimulation, then hopping on for the ride!
What does “reprocessing memories” feel like?
I think all of my EMDR clients would agree with me when I say, you just have to experience it to understand! The experience is something in between your regular stream of consciousness, remembering a memory, and lucid dreaming. This is because you are retaining a “dual awareness” of your past and your present; you are straddling the present moment of sitting on my couch in my office and remembering your memories vividly at the same time. Have you ever had a song stuck in your head that you were bopping along to with your body, except the song wasn’t playing anywhere out loud and you were 100% aware that it was all in your head? Yet, your body danced to it as if it were playing? That gives you a rough idea of what “reprocessing” feels like. Again, though, you have to experience it for yourself to truly understand!
How many sessions does EMDR take?
This is a seriously tough question to answer. I’ve seen clients go through as little as 12 sessions to complete the protocol, and I’ve had clients go through upwards of 50 sessions to complete the protocol. This is because everyone’s story, everyone’s system, everyone’s process, and everyone’s needs are different. There is no way for me to accurately gauge how long EMDR will take for a client on the front end. All we can do simply begin, trust your system’s process, and be thorough along the way.
EMDR sounds way more structured than “talk therapy”. Can I still verbally process through my previous week while in EMDR therapy?
EMDR is definitely “on a mission”, if you will, and clients who are looking for a space to talk through current events in their lives may be turned off by the idea of EMDR, which seems past-focused on the surface. While EMDR focuses on the content of the past, EMDR is also focusing on the process of your present. This means you can come into session, vent about how your boss treated you this week, and we will discuss how your process in handling that situation links up to some content in your past. It’s all EMDR, past and present. As we enter into the reprocessing phase of EMDR, I do try to limit our conversations to “important highlights only” so that we can dive into reprocessing as quickly as possible, using our session time well.
What if I have something I want to reprocess, but I’m not comfortable talking about it yet?
This is one of my favorite aspects of EMDR: it doesn’t have to include verbal processing. All I will need are some key words along the way so that I can reference the memory. The details, however, do not need to be given to me. This is because I am not the healer here, your system is. Your system remembers what happened. That’s what matters.
Can I do EMDR therapy while taking psychiatric medication?
Yes, you can. It is recommended that EMDR clients under medication management have follow-up sessions with me once they are no longer taking psychiatric medication. This is to make sure your system is still navigating your story well without the influence of mood stabilizers.
I didn’t have a bad childhood, and nothing majorly traumatic has happened to me. Can EMDR still help me?
Yes, it can! While some may not agree with me, I believe our parents all did the best they could with the tools they had at the time. For some, this translated into a pretty decent childhood. That’s so wonderful, you are truly blessed! This does not mean, however, that you don’t have wounds in your past that effect your current life. When we are young, our brains are rich sponges soaking everything in, desperately grasping to understand the world and how we fit into it. This means that something harmless can be interpreted as deeply painful for a child at the time: not getting picked for kickball team, your mom shushing you while she was on the phone and you wanted to share an exciting story with her, your dad trying to fix your sad feelings instead of just being present with you in them while you fell apart. Any of these memories can be linked to painful beliefs about ourselves, beliefs we unconsciously operate out of that tell us things like we don’t matter. There’s something wrong with us. We’re not safe. It’s our fault. That’s the stuff EMDR helps us sort out. In this way, we don’t need a terrible childhood or a traumatic event to benefit from EMDR.
Does EMDR bring up repressed memories?
The short answer is no, EMDR does not bring repressed memories to the surface in the way that most people think of when asking this question. The content that surfaces in EMDR reprocessing is usually the client’s known memories, perhaps not thought about in a long time. If you are particularly concerned about repressed memories in your past, I’d love to chat with you about it personally!