What Is EDMR? What Are The Various Phases Involved In EDMR?

Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) is a psychotherapy that addresses psychological trauma. It was developed by psychologist Francine Shapiro in the 1980s to treat post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). She observed a connection between eye movement and recollections of traumatic incidents and then thoroughly investigated the theory.

This type of psychotherapy has gradually become more popular in the true sense; Prince Harry recently cited that EMDR helped him cope with his childhood trauma. Here’s what you should know about EMDR and whether this treatment is a good choice.

What is EDMR?

Eye Movement Desensitization and Processing, or EMDR, is a method utilized to treat psychological trauma. A therapeutic method is based upon different psychotherapy theories, such as theories drawn from cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT).

The psychotherapy method helps to alter how memories of traumatic experiences are stored in your brain. This allows you to process them. EMDR employs an alternating left-right rhythm to assist those recovering from traumatic memories.

Eye movements, in conjunction with focusing on painful memories and negative emotions, have been believed to diminish the emotional impact.

Therefore, you can begin to heal from the stress and anxiety that comes with the event you’ve experienced at some point in your past. As time passes, the exposure to these memories reduces or completely removes your adverse reaction.

When EMDR being used?

EMDR was initially developed as an individual therapy for patients suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). It is now used to treat a wide range of other ailments. Some therapists use it to treat the symptoms of anxiety disorders such as panic, depression, eating disorders, dissociative disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and some personality disorders.

To be eligible for EMDR therapy, patients have to be able to endure the occasional emotional discomfort but not become emotionally withdrawn or get overwhelmed by emotions. Patients should be able to use their cognitive and emotional resources to process their memories effectively.

What are the major Benefits of EDMR?

The advantages of EMDR go beyond PTSD and the resolution of trauma. A few benefits of this method include the following:

• Changes negative thoughts:
  EMDR can help you identify, challenge, and even transform those negative thoughts occupying your mind.
• Reduces chronic pain:
  Studies show that bilateral stimulation stimulates the brain region, which is connected to relaxation and comfort sensations.
• Enhances confidence in yourself:
  EMDR removes negative and traumatic memories and ideas about you. You can learn to heal and process issues by identifying them.
• Requires only minimal talk in EMDR:
  EMDR is very effective for persons who are unable to express their feelings. It is not necessary to go into depth about your terrible occurrence, like you would in counselling.
• Produces quick results:
  EMDR is a type of short-term psychotherapy. Although each patient’s experience is unique, 80 to 90 percent of patients report favourable improvements after three sessions.

What are the various phases involved during EDMR therapy?

Phase 1: History-taking and treatment plan

In addition to taking an entire history and performing an appropriate assessment, the therapist and the client collaborate to pinpoint the areas of treatment. The targets include precious memories as well as current triggers, and the possibility of future goals.

Phase 2: Preparation

The therapist provides an explanation of the treatment and then introduces the client to the procedure and exercises in eye movement as well as other BLS elements. The therapist makes sure that the patient has the right resources to manage their effect by guiding the patient through the safe/calm Place exercise.

Phase 3: Assessment

The third stage of EMDR is assessment. It activates the memory at the centre of the session, in which it identifies and evaluates all of the memory components: cognition, image affect, and body sensation.

Two different measures are utilized in EMDR treatments to measure the changes in cognition and emotion that are measured by the Subjective Units of Disturbance (SUD) scale and the Validity of Cognition (VOC) scale. Both are utilized in the course of treatment according to the standard protocols:

Phase 4: Validity of Cognition (VOC) scale

The clinician will ask, “When you recall that incident in your mind, what really do these phrases (repeat the positive cognitive thought) appear to you right now on a scale from 1-7 in which one feels totally false, and seven is completely real?”

False and completely False
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
100% accurate

Phase 5: Subjective Units of Disturbance (SUD) scale

Once the patient has narrated the emotion they feel, the therapist will ask, “On a scale of zero to 10, where 0 means not disturbed or neutral, with 10 being the most severe possible disturbance, How disturbing make you feel?”

No disturbance
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
The worst possible

Phase 6: Desensitization

In this phase, the client is focused on the memory while performing eye movement or any other type of BLS. The client then reports what new thoughts are emerging. The therapist chooses the subject of each session of BLS by using standard methods. Typically, the material associated with it is the subject for the following set of short BLS. This continues until the patient reports they are no longer bothersome.

Phase 7: Installation

The seventh stage of EMDR therapy is the installation phase, which strengthens preferential positive cognition.

Phase 8: Body Scan

In this phase, the client is focused on the memory while performing eye movement or any other type of BLS. The client then reports what new thoughts are emerging. The therapist chooses the subject of each session of BLS by using standard methods. Typically, the material associated with it is the subject for the following set of short BLS. This continues until the patient reports they are no longer bothersome.

Closure

The closure is the process of ending the session. If the memory that was targeted was not processed fully during the session, specific techniques and instructions are employed to ensure that the memory is contained and ensure security for the following session.

Re-evaluation

The following session will begin with re-evaluation. During this phase, the therapist reviews the psychological state of the client and determines whether the effects of treatment are still present and what thoughts could have come to light from the previous session and then works with the client in identifying goals for the session.

Important Steps to follow

• The past can do more than evoke emotions of sorrow. If you’ve been through trauma, these memories could affect your everyday functioning.
• Sometimes, the memories are so painful that they seem to “freeze” you during that time. It’s impossible to let go of or escape, and ignoring these thoughts for the rest of your life is more comfortable.
• In this case, people’s locations, events, and places continue to trigger emotional traumas long after it’s over.
• EMDR therapy can assist you in getting rid of the cycle of freezing by allowing your brain to process memories more painfully.

The Bottom Line

The thought of traumatic experiences can be stressful, particularly at the beginning of therapy. Begin working with your therapist to discover ways to manage your emotions as you proceed with treatment.