EMDR, or Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing Therapy, is a type of therapy that helps patients who have Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) reprocess their trauma so that they’re able to emotionally and physically move forward from their past. Because of the astounding results and numerous studies that have been done about EMDR, it’s grown in popularity and can help people achieve results in just a few sessions that would typically take years.
It is important to understand what EMDR is for informational purposes only so that you can understand this tool everyone uses in everyday life.
How EMDR Therapy Works
During an EMDR therapy session, the therapist or counselor will work with their client to revisit either a traumatic memory or a belief about themselves that is causing pain or problematic behavior. Instead of only engaging in typical talk therapy, an external stimulus is introduced that has some kind of bilateral movement, moving from right to left and back repeatedly.
As the client focuses on this external stimulus while recalling details of their trauma or belief, their body begins to mimic Rapid Eye Movement- the same movement that a healthy, calm mind enters in the REM stage of sleep. When trauma is extreme, people aren’t able to get the relief from REM during sleep, so EMDR brings clients through a more advanced and conscious form of reprocessing.
Some examples of external stimulus might be the therapist moving their hand or an object from right to left at a specific tempo while the client follows with their eyes, allowing the client to close their eyes and hold sensors that vibrate from right to left in their hands, headphones that play a tone from right to left, and several other variations. No matter what is used, the therapist can customize the EMDR process to the individual’s needs. This may include asking the client what they notice in their memories, what their current self would tell their past self or someone else in their situation, and what their experience is teaching them today.
As the desensitization process continues, the therapist and client partner on the installation phase to help form new, healthy, and positive beliefs by allowing negative thoughts to flow outward without putting a wall up and blocking their release. This is nothing like hypnosis but instead is consciously and intentionally done. Many trauma survivors feel empowered by the agency they’re given here. They notice that they can empathize with themselves, forgive themselves, and recognize strength in themselves. They both consciously and subconsciously can create plans for how their current and future self can move forward.
EMDR clients also do body scans during the process, where they notice and observe the physical sensations brought on by the memory or belief. Comparing the beginning of EMDR to the end will have a noticeable physical difference, moving from distress to relief.
EMDR can be used by a variety of clients– from children to adults, veterans, natural disaster survivors, assault survivors, chronic or serious illness patients, and more. Unlike Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT), clients don’t have continued outside homework, and they also don’t have to continue focusing on the disturbing event.
Over 100,000 therapists worldwide have been trained in EMDR, and millions of people have been successfully treated. In fact, some of the research overviewed by the EMDR Institute shows that 84%-90% of single-trauma victims no longer have post-traumatic stress disorder after only three 90- minute sessions. Another study, funded by the HMO Kaiser Permanente, found that 100% of the single-trauma victims and 77% of multiple trauma victims no longer were diagnosed with PTSD after only six 50-minute sessions. In another study, 77% of combat veterans were free of PTSD in 12 sessions.
EMDR therapy is now recognized as an effective form of treatment for trauma and other disturbing experiences by organizations such as the American Psychiatric Association, the World Health Organization, and the Department of Defense. Given the worldwide recognition as an effective treatment of trauma, you can easily see how EMDR therapy is effective in treating the memories and experiences that cause people to have low self-esteem, feelings of powerlessness, and other symptoms that lead them to therapy.
I first discovered this treatment while paddling in the ocean for 17 days before discovering the name EMDR therapy. Staying aware of the constantly moving surroundings the entire time as I remained connected to my calm breath. It would allow the memory of the past trauma to continue to flow outward without putting up walls and blockages. As the emotional pain was released, new information from the ocean and knowing I was physically moving forward created a shift in memory and desensitized the emotion attached to each memory. After studying what EMDR was and understanding the similarities, it gave me clarity as to why active breath connection (instead of sitting passively) gave so many fast progressive healing qualities that can be used in daily life, without needing to take time out to sit quietly for an extended period of time.
When you cut your hand, your body works to close the wound. If a foreign object or repeated injury irritates the wound, it festers and causes pain. We can think of the process we’re learning in the same way. Together we’re using our minds to remove blocks and reprocess information so that healing can resume.
The progressive discovery led to a greater understanding of how many people naturally use a similar technique, giving them a calming feeling or a moment to let go of negative internal dialogue. Whether it is going for a walk outside while taking in all of the sights, people-watching at a cafe, peacefully watching a bonfire, or taking notice of how a stormy ocean creates a calm mind. The left to right movement helps mentally process their thoughts and experiences without even realizing it.
This week observe your energy levels, bodily sensations, and mood as you practice this technique, with special attention to how it feels to integrate opening your eyes. As you begin to practice, you’ll feel the shift caused by reprocessing your brain and getting relief from stress and anxiety. There is a wider world not only in front of us but around us. Take in all that you are seeing. Shift the connection from within to outward, increasing the depth of sight each time to open the world up. This will help your conscious collective connection to the bigger picture and confidently extend your unlimited thoughts, dreams and possibilities.
One Breath Meditation Example:
1 minute / 5 breaths.
› When you are ready, open your eyes, slowly stand up and walk towards the waters edge.
› Allow your eyes to move from left to right naturally, taking in all the information that you are seeing.
› See the white caps, the waves breaking, the birds flying by, the swell, how the wind moves the top of the water, the horizon, how the sun is hitting the water.
› Let you eyes quickly dart from left to right to take it all in.
1 breath.
›Now connect back with one breath, if you need a stronger connection just close your eyes as you inhale deeply through your nose to inflate your belly.
› Hold for two beats…
› And release gently through a soft mouth with nothing forced.
› Calm your breathing with long drawn out breaths from inhale to exhale. Start at the top of your head and on every exhale think of water running down your head, down your body and all the way into the sand. Relaxing every part of your physical being as you feel the water make its way down.
1 minute / 5 breaths.
› This time look out to the ocean, consciously tell yourself in detail what you are seeing. How do the waves break on the shore? How does the white wash roll and tumble before drawing back out to meet the next wave? How does the direction of the wind effect the water? How is the sun making the water and waves sparkle?
› Busy your mind with the activity in front of you. 1 breath.
› Now connect back with one breath. Inhale deeply with intent through your nose to inflate your belly.
› Hold for two beats…
› And release gently through a soft mouth with nothing forced.
