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What is EMDR-- It's the therapy tool you definitely want to try...
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) was originally developed to work with patients diagnosed with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) however, over the years, it has been found extremely helpful for treating other problems such as anxiety, depression, panic disorder, dissociative disorders as well as problems that have a trauma component.
Although EMDR is a foreign concept to many, this type of therapy is heavily researched and becoming more common in many therapeutic approaches. At Grand Oaks Counseling, we provide EMDR therapy near you in Decatur, AL and the surrounding areas. EMDR is a specialized type of therapy that requires specific training and level of licensure; not all therapists practice this type of therapy.
The EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitizing and Reprocessing) approach addresses and treats past negative experiences that still influence your thoughts, emotions, and sensations. For example, "Do you ever find yourself feeling worthless, even though you know you're not worthless?"
EMDR uses bilateral stimulation, often through rapid sets of eye movements, to help you update those negative experiences similar to the way the body naturally does during REM (rapid eye movement) sleep. During sleep, we alternate between phases of regular sleep and REM sleep, and this pattern is part of what helps you process troubling things.
EMDR replicates this sleep pattern by alternating between sets of eye movements and brief reports about what you are noticing. This alternating process helps you update your memories to a healthier present perspective.
EMDR is not Hocus-Pocus, or a miracle cure, even though it often feels that way because of how fast it works. EMDR is actually one of the most researched, Evidence-Based forms of therapy for PTSD and disturbing experiences. There has been so much research on EMDR that it is now endorsed by organizations such as the American Psychiatric Association (APA), the World Health Organization (WHO), and the Department of Defense (DOD).
EMDR in Decatur, AL is effective and healing for both recent adult and childhood traumas, as well as having a powerful impact on many other things presented in counseling, like phobias, anxiety, depression, and more.
The premise behind EMDR is that the brain can heal itself, it just needs the right set of circumstances to do so!
The first three phases of EMDR therapy are a lot like other therapies you may have experienced. When you come in for your first appointment, I will do a general intake, discuss the process of therapy, the nature of our relationship, and collect information about your physical, mental, emotional, and social health and history. Next, we will collaborate to determine your most immediate concerns and create a treatment plan to get you where you'd like to be. Following that there may be some assessment's given, depending on the nature of your concerns. Finally, you can expect some time will be spent preparing for the therapeutic interventions. This preparation, too, varies for each individual and treatment plan, but typically involves some type of education about the nature of the problem, the expected outcomes and possible barriers, and installation of calming and coping resources to support you through the process. All of which you are likely to experience in any other counseling approach.
Phase 4 of EMDR is where the therapeutic approach begins to shift to a more neurobiological focus. In this phase, called Desensitization, the attention begins to move towards changing the ways the brain and body associate past traumas and future fears with present triggers. Instead of directing you to write out or tell the story of what you have experienced, as is done in many other trauma processing therapies, your therapist will simply ask you to shift your attention to the targeted memory as they begin Bilateral Dual Attention Stimulation (BLDAS). In other words;
EMDR doesn't require a lot of talking!
BLDAS is the use of some activity (eye movements, auditory, or tapping) that activates both the left and right hemispheres of the brain, while also thinking of a targeted, typically bothersome, memory. This process allows activation of the specific memory network associated with the trauma while also taxing the working memory, which allows the thought to be desensitized and reprocessed. In EMDR, the trauma processing is done through eye movements or other forms of bilateral stimulation which often speeds up your ability to integrate distressing material into healthy and adaptive neural pathways. This is how the emotional charge is removed from the memory and also explains how presently associated triggers become neutralized.
As mentioned earlier, most other forms of trauma therapy approach memory reconsolidation and integration through talking, story-telling, and other forms of detailed, prolonged exposure to the traumatic event. Depending on the client and their goals these other therapies may be perfectly suited, but I have found that a lot of individuals prefer not to share all the details of their worst memories or fears and find the EMDR protocol freeing.
When you come in for a processing session, your therapist will ask you to identify the "headlines" of the event we are targeting. For instance, you will likely be asked what image represents the worst part of the traumatic experience and what emotions are associated with it as well. The words and details you choose to give are completely yours to decide. For example, if a client had been at Ground Zero on 911, they could select the image of "being alone in the hallway", without having to disclose exactly what happened there or the events before or after that.
Overall Treatment Planning
The EMDR Therapy Session
Going Forward after EMDR Therapy
Please reach out at INFO@grandoakscounseling.com if you cannot find an answer to your question.
No. Unlike other therapies, it is not necessary to describe in detail or write out the specifics of your experience for EMDR therapy to be effective.
You may. Emotions and sensations may come up during processing, but your therapist will make sure you are prepared ahead of time to safely and effectively manage them if they do. Once the difficult thoughts and feelings are processed with EMDR, they rarely come back.
No. EMDR therapy is not hypnosis. During EMDR processing you are fully alert, present, and completely in control.
The length of time it will take to accomplish your goals will depend on the complexity of your problems. However, EMDR is typically a brief, time-limited treatment, and many clients report relief after only a few sessions. Typically, EMDR is used along with another treatment approach.
Watch this video for more info about EMDR
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