EMDR Therapy Questions | Why and How

EMDR Therapy Faq: What Does EMDR Stand For?

EMDR Therapy Questions
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On this page, you will find most answers about emdr therapy questions. EMDR stands for eye movement desensitization and reprocessing. It combines cognitive processing and exposure methodology to treat conditioned emotional responding and other trauma-related symptoms.

The experiment showed that EMDR-with eye movements led to a more significant reduction in distress than EMDR-without eye movements. 

Findings indicate that the eye movement component in EMDR sessions is beneficial, coupled with distinct psychophysiological changes that may aid in processing negative memories.

EMDR (Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing), a controversial cognitive treatment technique used to treat conditioned emotional and trauma-related symptoms. It aims to correct psychophysiological correlations and the effectiveness of different dual-attention tasks used during the session. This kind of treatment is rendered to people who have experienced damaging memory trauma, either as kids or adults. It is a process similar to hypnotizing.

Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing integrates well into a family systems approach. The amount of time to complete treatment depends on the client’s history. 

There are eight phases of treatment, including incident and treatment planning, preparation and assessment, reprocessing, desensitization, installation, body scan, closure, and reevaluation. 

Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing therapy aim to process completely the experiences that are causing problems and including new ones that are needed for full health. “Processing” does not mean talking about it. “Processing” means setting up a learning state that will allow experiences that cause problems to be “digested” and stored appropriately in your brain.

EMDR Therapy questions: EMDR Therapist

EMDR or Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing therapists are professionals specially trained for an integrative psychotherapy approach to use the treatment approach. EMDR is a set of standardized protocols that incorporates elements from many different treatment approaches. The therapist uses all the protocols to treat patients. 

EMDR Therapy Faq: When was EMDR Created?

Francine Shapiro, Ph.D., created EMDR, otherwise known as Eye Movement Desensitization And Reprocessing. She first discovered and developed the protocol behind EMDR therapy (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) in 1987 to help people process traumatic memories. More information can be found at the EMDR Institute.

EMDR Therapy Faq: Does EMDR Cause Side Effect

EMDR side effects – EMDR and other psychotherapy forms may cause some side effects, such as increased distressing memories, heightened emotions or physical sensations during sessions, and lightheadedness.

EMDR Therapy Faq: How do you feel after EMDR?

As the EMDR Therapy takes it away, you’ll feel lighter, healthier, and more optimistic. Many people talk about having a post-EMDR session that feels a bit like a vibration in your head. It goes away in a few minutes, and just after, you may feel a bit amped up from all the in-session brain stimulation.

EMDR Therapy Faq: Can EMDR make you worse?

EMDR affords the clinician a birds-eye view of their fuller human experience. I’ve noticed it is common in EMDR for a patient to feel worse before feeling better. The process is challenging, but in the end, patients feel the work to be worthwhile.

EMDR Therapy Faq: Can a person do EMDR on themselves?

Is, Do It Yourself EMDR Possible? The short answer: partially. It is possible to learn how to cope with the anxiety and distress that comes up from experiencing a traumatic memory. Being able to handle these moments effectively can help in your recovery process. According to Nih.gov, “Access to technology worldwide is increasing rapidly, including in LMICs. In a 2015 survey of 21 emerging and developing countries, a median of 54% reported using the internet and 37% reported owning a smartphone (Pew Research Centre, 2016), and there is a growing body of evidence that treatments using mobile and internet technologies can be feasible and efficacious in LMICs, while increasing the availability and accessibility of mental health services.”

EMDR: Potential risks and controversies around self-administered EMDR therapy

A session of EMDR therapy can lead to a short-term increase in distress for patients,, which Francine Shapiro, the founder of EMDR therapy, warned could lead to a transient increase in suicidality in some patients. 

She explained that this may be due to the resurfacing of dissociated information, emotions and physical sensations. Therefore, according to the treatment protocol, therapists first assess their patients’ suitability and readiness for EMDR therapy prior to commencing the active processing of memories, particularly by evaluating their abilities to successfully utilise self-control and relaxation techniques and to maintain their own safety. 

Shapiro further cautioned that EMDR processing may even be ‘very disturbing’ (p. 89) and that ‘the lack of adequate screening, preparation, or implementation of EMDR can have literally fatal consequences’ (p. 303).

The EMDR UK and Ireland Association also advised that ‘according to American Psychological Association ethical guidelines, all prescribed therapies should be done according to the standardised procedures that have been examined by research’.

EMDR Therapy: What are the 8 phases of EMDR?

There are eight phases to EMDR therapy: initial history discovery and treatment planning, preparation, assessment, desensitization, installation, body scan, closure, and reevaluation.

The amount of time the complete treatment will take depends upon the history of the client. Complete treatment of the targets involves a three-pronged protocol (1-past memories, 2-present disturbance, 3-future actions). These are needed to alleviate the symptoms and address the complete clinical picture.

The goal of EMDR therapy is to process completely the experiences that are causing problems, and to include new ones that are needed for full health. “Processing” does not mean talking about it. “Processing” means setting up a learning state that will allow experiences that are causing problems to be “digested” and stored appropriately in your brain.

That means that what is useful to you from an experience will be learned, and stored with appropriate emotions in your brain, and be able to guide you in positive ways in the future. The inappropriate emotions, beliefs, and body sensations will be discarded. Negative emotions, feelings and behaviours are generally caused by unresolved earlier experiences that are pushing you in the wrong directions.

The goal of EMDR therapy is to leave you with the emotions, understanding, and perspectives that will lead to healthy and useful behaviours and interactions. 

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Works Cited

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7576659/#idm139858803373568title

https://hornsveldpsychologenpraktijk.files.wordpress.com/2019/01/full-8-phase-explanation.pdf

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