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The EMDR Approach to Trauma Therapy What is EMDR? What does an EMDR session consist of? How does EMDR work? How to find a referral What is EMDR? EMDR, or Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing, is an innovative clinical treatment that was developed to deal directly with the effects of trauma. Since 1988, EMDR has helped over two million trauma survivors. "EMDR is the most revolutionary, important method to emerge in psychotherapy in decades." Herbert Fensterheim, Ph.D. Cornell University Fourteen published, controlled studies support the efficacy of EMDR, making it one of the most thoroughly researched methods ever used in the treatment of trauma. Most people treated for single trauma find relief from post-trauma emotional symptoms within three or four sessions of EMDR. "EMDR was found to be an efficacious treatment for PTSD." Practice Guidelines The International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies "The speed at which change occurs during EMDR contradicts the traditional notion of time as essential for psychological healing." Bessel A. van der Kolk, M.D., Professor of Psychiatry Boston University School of Medicine Top of Page What does an EMDR session consist of? EMDR integrates many of the successful elements of a range of therapeutic approaches in combination with eye movements or other forms of rhythmical stimulation (such as hand-tapping). Once it has been determined which traumatic memory to target first, the clinician asks the person being treated to hold different aspects of that event or thought in mind and to track the therapist’s hand with his eyes as it moves back and forth across his field of vision. As the session progresses, an innate self-healing mechanism is activated, and he is able to begin to cognitively and emotionally process the traumatic memory and disturbing feelings. "EMDR provides a way for people to free themselves from destructive memories, and it seems to work, even in cases where years of conventional therapy have failed." ABC News "20/20" Once this mechanism is set into motion, the person undergoing treatment typically begins to spontaneously associate other memories, thoughts, and feelings with the originally targeted trauma. The result is a chain of associations, each of which the clinician may select as a target for additional EMDR therapy. By the time the various chains of association come to an end, the trauma has lost its negative charge and no longer maintains its destructive hold. It becomes simply another event in the history of the survivor’s life. "EMDR is one of the most powerful tools I’ve encountered for treating post-traumatic stress. In the hands of a competent and compassionate therapist, it gives people the means to heal themselves." Steven Silver, Ph.D. Director of the PTSD Unit, Veterans Admin. Medical Center, Coatesville, Penn. Top of Page How does EMDR work? The precise mechanism by which EMDR works to resolve traumatic stress is unclear, in part because we still know so little about how the brain processes intense memories and emotions. However, a number of neuropsychologists believe that EMDR enables the person undergoing treatment to rapidly access traumatic memories and process them emotionally and cognitively, which facilitates their resolution. "We believe that EMDR induces a fundamental change in brain circuitry similar to what happens in REM sleep -- that allows the person undergoing treatment to more effectively process and incorporate traumatic memories into general association networks in the brain. This helps the individual integrate and understand the memories within the larger context of his or her life experience." Robert Stickgold, Ph.D., Harvard Medical School By accessing these memories in the context of a safe environment, the hypothesis is that information processing is enhanced, with new associations forged between the traumatic memory and more adaptive memories or information. These new associations result in complete information processing, new learning, elimination of emotional distress, and the development of cognitive insights about the memories. "EMDR quickly opens new windows on reality, allowing people to see solutions within themselves that they never knew were there. And it’s a therapy where the client is very much in charge, which can be particularly meaningful when people are recovering from having their power taken away by abuse and violation." Laura S. Brown, Ph.D. Past Recipient of the American Psychological Association Award for Distinguished Professional Contributions to Public Service After successful treatment with EMDR, affective distress is relieved, negative beliefs are reformulated, and physiological arousal associated with stress is reduced. Top of Page How to find a referral EMDR HAP does not make referrals for psychotherapy. Individuals looking for an EMDR therapist can consult either the EMDR International Association website, www.emdria.org, or the registry on the website of the EMDR Institute, www.emdr.com, where clinicians are listed by location and specialty. Top of Page