Eye Movement Desensitization & Reprocessing
What is EMDR:
EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) is a scientifically validated integrative psychotherapy. It is a phase-oriented approach to treatment based on the philosophy that human beings are capable, under appropriate conditions, of naturally resolving disturbing emotional material from traumatic or disturbing events. As well, EMDR is a means of enabling positive emotional states that will help natural growth and healing.
Aim of EMDR
The aim of EMDR treatment is to achieve the most profound and comprehensive treatment effects in the shortest period of time, while maintaining stability within family and social systems.
How EMDR works
It is not clear how EMDR works because neuroscience researchers are still exploring how the brain works. However, there is evidence that people have an innate adaptive information processing system (define) that is part of human thinking and emotional self-regulation. Research suggests that when a person is very upset, the brain cannot process information as it normally does. Some traumatic events and recurring situations provoke intense emotions that may become “frozen in time” and “stuck” in the information processing system.
Present day internal and external reminders of these experiences are able to trigger a re-experiencing of sights, sounds, smells, thoughts, body sensations or emotions that can feel as intense as when they were first experienced. Under the influence of these unresolved experiences, a person’s behavior tends to become inflexible and constricted to avoid the pain of re-experiencing these events.
EMDR appears to have a direct effect on the way the brain processes upsetting material. Research suggests that attending to eye movements, auditory tones or hand taps may trigger an innate neurophysiologic mechanism know as “the investigatory response” (define). This, in turn, leads to “adaptive information processing” where a person’s own innate capacities lead to adaptive changes in thinking and emotional self-regulation.
The person receiving EMDR comes to understand that the troubling event is in the past. He realizes appropriately who or what was responsible for the event and begins to feel more certain about his present-day safety and his capacity to make good choices.
What happened can still be remembered by the person, but with much less emotional upset.
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EMDR 