Disclaimer: The information provided in this blog post is for general educational purposes only. I am not a trained EMDR clinician. If you’re considering EMDR therapy or any therapeutic intervention, consulting with and working alongside an experienced and trained professional specialising in the respective field is crucial.
Situated in the heart of Camden and the scenic Southern Highlands, our therapy and counselling centre offers a sanctuary for individuals and couples seeking healing.
Trauma can reside deep within our minds, influencing our daily lives, relationships, and overall mental health. As a counsellor practising in both the Camden and Southern Highlands areas, and with expertise in both individual and couples therapy, I often encounter the profound ways trauma shapes people’s lives. Over the years, I’ve explored a plethora of therapeutic techniques to support my clients, and today, I’d like to discuss a pivotal one: Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing (EMDR).
What is Trauma?
Before we delve into EMDR, it’s essential to understand trauma. Trauma can stem from a singular incident or a prolonged series of distressing events, such as abuse, grave accidents, or witnessing harrowing occurrences. Subsequently, many grapple with symptoms like post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, anxiety, or difficulties in their relationships (American Psychiatric Association, 2022).
EMDR: A Brief Insight
Founded by Dr. Francine Shapiro in the late 1980s, EMDR is a psychotherapeutic approach formulated to mitigate the distress associated with traumatic memories (Shapiro, 1989). At the heart of the therapy lies bilateral stimulation, primarily through guided eye movements, facilitating the processing of traumatic memories, reducing their perturbing impact.
How does EMDR work?
- History-taking and treatment planning: The therapist gathers information about the traumatic events and prepares the client for processing.
- Preparation: Clients are taught skills for emotional self-regulation to ensure they can manage the distress that may arise during processing.
- Assessment: The target traumatic memories are identified, and a baseline of distress levels is established.
- Desensitisation: The bilateral stimulation begins. As clients focus on the traumatic memory, the guided eye movements help them process the experience, often leading to a reduction in distress.
- Installation: Clients work to strengthen positive beliefs about themselves.
- Body Scan: Any residual physical tension related to the memory is identified and processed.
- Closure: The session concludes by ensuring the client is stable and grounded.
- Reevaluation: Subsequent sessions start by checking the progress and ensuring the distress from the target memory remains reduced.
Efficacy of EMDR
While research continues to unravel the exact mechanics behind EMDR’s efficacy, prevailing theories provide some insight. One theory hypothesizes that bilateral stimulation, reminiscent of rapid eye movement (REM) during sleep, assists in adaptively integrating traumatic memories within the brain (Stickgold, 2002). Another suggests EMDR permits clients to access and process traumatic memories without overwhelming distress, consequently diminishing the memory’s unsettling influence (Shapiro, 2001).
Conclusion
EMDR stands as a formidable force within trauma therapy. A plethora of studies vouch for its efficacy in addressing PTSD and related trauma symptoms (e.g., Cukor et al., 2009). If trauma shadows you or someone you know, EMDR, especially within the supportive confines of Camden and the Southern Highlands counselling environments, could be a therapeutic avenue worth considering.
References
- American Psychiatric Association. (2022). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (5th ed., text rev.). https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.books.9780890425787
- Shapiro, F. (1989). Efficacy of the eye movement desensitization procedure in the treatment of traumatic memories. Journal of Traumatic Stress, 2(2), 199-223. https://psycnet.apa.org/doi/10.1002/jts.2490020207
- Stickgold, R. (2002). EMDR: A putative neurobiological mechanism of action. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 58(1), 61-75. https://doi.org/10.1002/jclp.1129
- Shapiro, F. (2001). Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR): Basic principles, protocols, and procedures (2nd ed.). New York, NY: Guilford Press. https://doi.org/10.1002/9780470479216.corpsy0337
- Cukor, J., Spitalnick, J., Difede, J., Rizzo, A., & Rothbaum, B. O. (2009). Emerging treatments for PTSD. Clinical Psychology Review, 29(8), 715-726. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cpr.2009.09.001
Stay connected for further insights on mental health topics. Remember, within Camden, the Southern Highlands, and beyond, you’re never alone on your mental well-being journey.
