What Does EMDR Therapy Do?

In 1990, psychologist and therapist Francine Shapiro invented a new type of psychotherapy called Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (in further text, EMDR). The EMDR therapy is an excellent and innovative therapeutic option for anyone suffering from anxiety, panic attacks, PTSD, or different traumas. In addition, it’s a means of letting go of past mistakes.

What exactly is EMDR? 

EMDR is a psychotherapy technique for trauma treatment that has been considerably researched and is already proven effective. Millions of people of all ages have benefited from EMDR therapy, which is a set of standard techniques that integrate elements from a range of treatment approaches. These days, people can even make use of a resource like virtual EMDR in order to self-administer this therapy but, often, the most effective will come from working with a therapist who will be able to guide individuals through the therapy.

EMDR therapy is a phased, multiple-step and focused technique for treating symptoms of trauma. It involves safely and gradually reconnecting the traumatized person with the images, emotions, thoughts, and physical sensations connected with the trauma, allowing the brain’s biological healing powers to move toward appropriate resolution.

It is established on the notion that symptoms appear when the brain’s natural ability to heal is overburdened by trauma and additional harmful or demanding experiences and that the therapeutic process can be aided and completed by bilateral stimulation. At the same time, the client re-experiences the trauma in a familiar environment of the therapist’s office (so-called dual awareness).

EMDR therapy is a multiple-phase therapy. It detects and settles daunting experiences that have overloaded the brain’s normal coping abilities, resulting in traumatic symptoms like panic or flashbacks, or unhealthy coping tactics like asocial behavior and alcohol or drugs abuse.

The principles of EMDR

People use EMDR to reprocess trauma in a safe environment until it no longer affects their lives psychologically. Adverse feelings and symptoms will gradually cease to be elicited by exposure to painful memories.

EMDR’s therapeutic steps include: taking a history, assessment, preparation, desensitization, installation, body scan, and closure.  In EMDR, the person receiving treatment concentrates on a traumatic memory in order to uncover a self-defeating thought. If it’s associated with a bad memory, the approach teaches the person to associate it with a favourable belief instead.

Abuse victims, for example, often believe that they “deserved” to be abused. EMDR motivates the person to recognize that this is self-destructive reflection. “I deserved suffering,” as a result, becomes “I am a valuable and excellent person.”

The memory’s associated feelings and emotions have all been identified. After then, the participant reviews the memory and at the same time, focuses on an external stimulation that generates bilateral and rapid eye movement. Usually, the therapist moves two fingers while the subject is watching. After a set of bilateral motions (which usually involve both eyes), the subject is asked to describe their feelings.

This procedure is repeated until the subject processes the trauma and the recollection is no longer distressing. The chosen positive idea is then “installed” with the help of bilateral movement, to substitute the pessimistic belief.

Sessions are usually an hour long. The “bilateral stimulation” of EMDR is thought to work because it bypasses the portion of the brain that processes memories and has become stuck as a result of the trauma. When a painful or traumatic memory becomes trapped, the brain is unable to process and store it effectively.

Individuals process memories securely via EMDR, which brings a peaceful resolution. In addition, the experience gives individuals more insight into earlier upsetting occurrences as well as unfavourable beliefs about themselves that have developed as a result of the initial traumatic event.

Who can benefit from EMDR?

Multiple studies have demonstrated the efficacy of EMDR therapy for problems such as sexual abuse, war trauma, early or late childhood trauma, neglect, life-threatening and other serious accidents, and symptoms such as anxiety, stress, depression, and substance dependence. This style of treatment has the potential to cure those who have experienced various forms of trauma.

EMDR therapist Dubai has the approach which is changing the way we think about the existence of emotional, physical, and psychological repercussions associated with a traumatic occurrence. After a traumatic experience, the pain and sensation of peril carried in subconsciousness burdens the soul with high intensity. EMDR uses a series of lateral eye movements, tapping, or sounds to reconstruct belief systems – cognition. At the same time, the subject is instructed to construct the picture of danger, pain and trauma that most concerns them.

Is EMDR Treatment Effective?

Some studies of this type of therapy reveal that after only three sessions (90-minute long), around 90% percent of single-trauma victims no longer have post-traumatic stress disorder.

This sort of therapeutic process is also distinct in that the therapist does not communicate with the client while they are going through the therapy. It’s fairly uncommon for sleep to be disrupted after an EMDR session. Vivid dreams are typical, as is feeling more susceptible to other people’s relationships and external stimuli.

It is important to know that EMDR isn’t the only type of therapy that can help persons with PTSD, anxiety, panic attacks, and/or other traumas. EMDR is frequently used in combination with other types of therapy. For example, anxiety and trauma can also be treated using cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and rational emotive behavioral therapy (REBT).

Consult your therapist to see if there are any combinations of treatment or other therapeutic procedures that would be beneficial to you. Listen to your body – and your therapist – and you will start seeing the results soon.