Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing (EMDR)

EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing) is an evidence-based therapy that uses our understanding of neuroscience to change how our brain deals with traumatic memories and stress. It works by helping you reprocess traumatic memories to make them less emotionally intense and overwhelming, thus enabling you to revise negative beliefs and integrate a more adaptive perspective and a positive core belief.

EMDR is an 8 phase treatment modality utilized over the course of multiples sessions. The 8 phases of EMDR treatment include:

1. History taking & treatment planning

This involves exploring your history with an emphasis on negative or traumatic events you would like to work through and identifying goals of treatment.

2. Preparation

Focus on learning grounding and coping skills that you can turn to if you’re feeling overwhelmed during a session and to close EMDR sessions so you leave each session feeling safe and grounded.

3. Assessment

During this phase you’ll identify the events, thoughts, feelings, beliefs that you would like to target for reprocessing.

4. Desensitization

This is the phrase that people usually think of when they hear EMDR. The bilateral stimulation technique is begun while focusing on the target event; during this time, new thoughts, sensations, images, and feelings may emerge. Reprocessing of an event is complete when you are able to feel neutral about it.

5. Installation

During this phase you will associate and strengthen a more adaptive, positive belief with the target event until it feels completely true.

6. Body Scan

You will scan your body noticing physical sensations while keeping in mind the target event; any lingering disturbance will be reprocessed until clear.

7. Closure

Every EMDR session ends with closure, in which you will be assisted to return to a state of calm in the present moment whether the reprocessing is complete or not.

8. Reevaluation

At the start of each new session, we will briefly explore feelings and thoughts about the event as well as your distress level to assess how progress is going. You may identify and address additional memories to reprocess in subsequent sessions.