Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing, or EMDR
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing, or EMDR, is a comprehensive approach to psychotherapy that has been used successfully in the treatment of Post-traumatic Stress Disorder for both civilian and military populations.It was developed by Francine Shapiro, PhD, and reported in her research in 1989. Numerous research studies have demonstrated that EMDR reduces flashbacks, nightmares and other symptoms of PTSD. The quality of this research has earned EMDR the approval of the American Psychological Association, the Department of Defense, the Veteran’s Administration, the American Psychiatric Association, and the International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies. These are all conservative organizations which make decisions based on the evidence provided by quality research.
EMDR has also been researched for Phobias, Body Dysmorphic Disorder, Phantom Limb Pain, and for application with Children. Much anecdotal reports and case studies have described its beneficial application for a wide range of additional problems. Much more research is needed. Until then applications of EMDR in unresearched, or little researched applications are considered experimental. If you have any questions about this, consult with your therapist, one of the research resources listed on this website or through your own web or library search.
EMDR is covered by all major insurances.
In research that compares EMDR to Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for the treatment of Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), both were demonstrated to have fairly equal success rates (around 80%). But EMDR required 0-3 hours of homework for the whole course of treatment vs. up to 1 hour of daily homework for CBT, which could total as much as 100 hours during the course of treatment. EMDR has also been shown to have a lower dropout rate than CBT. Recent evidence has shown that EMDR produces more “Post-traumatic Grown” than CBT. For instance, people report their relationships have improved, and they sense a more positive meaning for their life. *
Traditionally, PTSD is the one diagnosis that requires a specific kind of event to occur in order to qualify for the diagnosis: a life-threatening event. However, many Trauma Therapists have discovered that people can qualify for PTSD even if they did not experience a life-threatening event. Research published in the British Journal of Psychiatry in 2005 reported that people can have higher PTSD scores for non-life-threatening events. So this requirement may eventually be dropped from the indicators for PTSD in the future, if further research confirms this.
Not all traumatic events result in PTSD. If, in the first month “post-trauma” people quickly receive the understanding, time for recovery and return to safety they need, distressing symptoms can calm and PTSD can sometimes be averted. Some people endure great traumas during their life, and finally get PTSD when a seemingly lesser trauma occurs. This seems to be due to the accumulation of traumas stressing the brain and whole system, thus finally overwhelming one’s coping capacities.
Whether it is one or many traumas, at some point the nervous system reaches “Full”. The material related to the trauma appears to get “stuck” in the areas of the brain where short-term memory is held. This accounts for the frequent symptom of “flashbacks” or re-experiencing aspects of the event as if they are happening in the present. The full intensity of the original emotions and memories can be stuck in place for years and even decades. The suffering person may think “Am I crazy?” The answer is: No. PTSD can feel overwhelming. But the good news is that there is effective treatment.
When EMDR is properly done by an EMDRIA-Certified EMDR Therapist, a full 8 Stage Protocol is followed. The stage of using the Eye Movements or other forms of gentle, bilateral stimulation of the brain, is Stage 4. If a clinician were to move into stage 4 (Desensitization of Trauma) without the proper preparation, it would not be considered EMDR treatment even if Eye Movements were used. A Certified EMDR clinician would not do this.
The eye movements, or “bilateral’ stimulation of the brain, are theorized to serve a similar purpose to the REM (Rapid Eye Movement) period of sleep. It helps the brain to store memory in the proper place, to hold on to what is important and discard what is not necessary. Sleep research has demonstrated that when the REM period of sleep is prevented, people may develop psychological problems. Thus, one theory about why EMDR works is that we are “jump-starting” a healthy and natural brain process.
Some observers have noted that as the memories calm, or “desensitize”, they can now be properly stored in the long-term memory. Clients will exclaim, “It’s over, I’m safe now.” The event, such as war, may have happened years ago, and cognitively they knew it was over. But now their whole being knows it is over. Clients frequently report their bodies and emotions experience great “relief,” “calm” or “freedom” with this realization.
The Therapists on this website are EMDRIA-Certified EMDR Therapists. A few may be in consultation for Certification under an EMDRIA-Approved Consultant, and thus will be Certified soon. And quite a few have earned the title of EMDRIA-Approved Consultant. This means they have a high degree of experience and training to be able to give consultation to lesser-experienced EMDR therapists, and guide them to Certification.
*For more details about the research, please go to www.emdr.com, “Frequently Asked Questions, #4”.
