EMDR therapy involves focusing on three periods of time: yesteryear, present, and future. Focus is offered to past disturbing memories and related events. Also, it’s given to current situations that induce distress, and to developing the relevant skills and attitudes necessary for positive future actions. With EMDR therapy, these items are addressed having an eight-phase treatment approach.
Phase 1 of EMDR Therapy:
The first phase can be a history-taking session(s). The therapist assesses the client’s readiness and develops a therapy plan. Client and therapist identify possible targets for EMDR processing. These include distressing memories and current situations that cause emotional distress. Other targets might include related incidents previously. Emphasis is positioned about the progression of specific skills and behaviors that will be needed by the client later on situations.
Initial EMDR processing could be given to childhood events rather than to adult onset stressors or the identified critical incident in the event the client had a problematic childhood. Clients generally gain insight on their situations, the emotional distress resolves and they learn to change their behaviors. The length of treatment depends on upon the amount of traumas and the age of PTSD onset. Generally, individuals with single event adult onset trauma could be successfully treated in less than 5 hours. Multiple trauma victims might require a lengthier treatment time.
Phase 2:
During the next phase of treatment, the therapist helps to ensure that the customer has lots of different ways of handling emotional distress. The therapist may teach the client a variety of imagery and stress reduction techniques the customer may use during and between sessions. An objective of EMDR treatment therapy is to make a rapid and effective change while the client maintains equilibrium during and between sessions.
Phases 3-6:
In phases 3 to 6, a target is identified and processed using EMDR therapy procedures. These involve the customer identifying three things:
1. The vivid visual image associated with the memory
2. A negative belief about self
3. Related emotions and the entire body sensations.
Furthermore, your client identifies a good belief. The therapist helps the customer rate the positive belief along with the power of the negative emotions. Next, the client is made to target the image, negative thought, and the entire body sensations while simultaneously engaging in EMDR processing using sets of bilateral stimulation. These sets might include eye movements, taps, or tones. The type and period of these sets differ for each and every client. At this time, the EMDR client is expected to just notice whatever spontaneously happens.
After each pair of stimulation, the clinician instructs your client to permit his/her mind to go blank and to notice whatever thought, feeling, image, memory, or sensation one thinks of. Depending upon the client’s report, the clinician will select the next focus of attention. These repeated sets with directed focused attention occur numerous times throughout the session. If the client becomes distressed or has difficulty in progressing, the therapist follows established procedures to assist the client in getting back on track.
If the client reports no distress related to the targeted memory, (s)he could be required to think of the preferred positive thought was identified at the beginning of the session. At this time, your client may adjust the positive belief if needed, after which focus on it throughout the next set of distressing events.
Phase 7:
In phase seven, closure, the therapist asks the customer to keep a log during the week. The log should document any related material which could arise. It serves to remind the client of the self-calming activities that were mastered in phase two.
Phase 8:
The next session begins with phase eight. Phase eight consists of examining the progress made to date. The EMDR treatment processes all related historical events, current incidents that elicit distress, and future events that will need different responses