EMDR Therapy

EMDR is a comprehensive psychotherapy approach guided by the Adaptive Information Processing model. This model posits that much of psychopathology stems from disturbing experiences that were never fully processed and integrated by the brain. EMDR helps the brain digest these memories, reducing their negative impact.

In a typical EMDR session, you will identify a specific disturbing memory and the negative beliefs, emotions, and body sensations associated with it. These become the targets for EMDR processing.

The therapist will then guide you in sets of lateral eye movements, taps, or tones. As you hold the target memory in mind, the bilateral stimulation unlocks the brain's natural information processing capacity. This lets insights emerge while desensitizing you to the memory’s distress.

With the therapist’s support, the bilateral stimulation allows you to forge new connections between the traumatic memory and more positive beliefs and associations. The memory becomes less triggering and stabilizes into an integrated, neutral state.

Over time, EMDR not only processes individual traumatic memories but shifts engrained patterns stemming from those memories. You integrate self-enhancing perspectives that improve self-concept, behavior, and overall resilience.

While EMDR may sound simple, it is very effective. It helps your brain finally digest unprocessed experiences so you are no longer haunted or triggered by the past. Insights gained allow you to move forward with confidence.

EMDR is considered very safe, with few risks when practiced by a trained professional. However, since EMDR processes traumatic memories, some clients may experience emotional or psychological distress both during and between sessions. Headaches, fatigue, insomnia are also possible side effects due to processing intensity. Clients with instability or suicidal ideation associated with trauma may require stabilization first. To minimize risks, therapists carefully screen clients for readiness, repeatedly check in on discomfort levels during processing, and ensure proper self-care and social support outside sessions. With proper precautions, EMDR side effects are usually temporary.

Anyone who has ever experienced an upset that they have not recovered from. Often these people have one or more of the following symptoms in varying degrees: feeling “stuck”, excess stress/tension, depression, anxiety, restlessness, sleep trouble, fatigue, appetite disturbances, and ongoing physical health concerns despite treatment. In the more severe cases: panic attacks, flashbacks, nightmares, obsessions, compulsions, eating disorders and addictions. Those who feel "stuck" in talk therapy may also benefit. Due to intensive memory processing, EMDR is not advisable for clients with current substance abuse, severe dissociation, or established psychotic disorders until stable. For most distress that resists change despite your best efforts, EMDR could allow you to finally heal and thrive. Let's explore if it's a good fit!

The number of EMDR sessions required depends on the complexity of your trauma history. Recent single-event trauma like an accident may resolve within 6 sessions. However, complex trauma stemming from severe childhood abuse often needs more extensive treatment over months. On average, 10-12 sessions are recommended to ensure full processing and stability of positive gains. As an EMDR-certified therapist attuned to your unique needs, I develop a flexible timeline tailored to your trauma background and responsiveness. While difficult to predict precisely, together we can determine an adequate EMDR treatment plan for you to experience lasting freedom.

Twelve studies with PTSD populations assessed treatment maintenance by analyzing differences in outcome between post-treatment and follow-up. Follow-up times have varied and include periods of 3, 4, 9, 15 months, and 5 years after treatment. Treatment effects were maintained in eight of the nine studies with civilian participants; one study (Devilly & Spence, 1999) reported a trend for deterioration. Of the three studies with combat veteran participants only one (Carlson et al., 1998) provided a full course of treatment (12 sessions). This study found that treatment effects were maintained at 9 months. The other two studies provided limited treatment: Devilly, Spence and Rapee (1998) provided two sessions and moderate effects at post-test were not maintained at follow-up. Pitman et al. (1996) treated only two of multiple traumatic memories, and treatment effects were not maintained at 5 year follow-up (Macklin et al., 2000). It appears that the provision of limited treatment may be inadequate to fully treat the disorder, resulting in remission of the partial effects originally achieved.