What is EMDR Therapy?
EMDR therapy, or Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing, is a highly effective form of therapy designed to help people overcome anxiety, depression, trauma, addictive behaviors, and more. This evidence-based approach utilizes specialized techniques, such as guided eye movements or tapping, to assist the brain in processing painful memories.
The process of EMDR is transformative in two ways. First, it helps to reduce the intensity of negative emotions associated with distressing memories. Second, it allows you to integrate memories in a healthier manner, so that the meaning you take away from the memory is more empowering. For example, after experiencing a traumatic event, a client may have learned to believe “I’m not safe.” After EMDR, however, they can reprocess their belief to instead be “it’s over; I am safe now.”
Key Features of EMDR Therapy
During an EMDR session, a trained therapist will help you confront and process difficult memories or experiences. You'll discuss the troubling event while engaging in specific exercises, like tracking the therapist's hand movements with your eyes. Ultimately, these exercises facilitate a healthier reprocessing of the memory, and you will begin to notice that the emotional intensity surrounding the memory diminishes. The therapist provides steady support throughout, creating a secure environment for healing and progress.
Issues EMDR Can Help With
One of the main benefits of EMDR is its versatility. While it is primarily used for treatment of trauma and PTSD, EMDR can be applied to a variety of issues, including anxiety, depression, low self-esteem, body image concerns, addictive behaviors, and more.
Trauma & PTSD
EMDR is most known for being a highly effective treatment for trauma and PTSD. It helps individuals process distressing memories and their associated emotions, allowing them to integrate these experiences in a healthier way. Through this therapeutic process, EMDR can alleviate symptoms of post-traumatic stress, reduce anxiety, and promote healing and resilience.
Depression
EMDR can be an effective therapy for depression by addressing the underlying traumatic experiences or negative beliefs that contribute to depressive feelings. Through targeted reprocessing, it helps individuals process and release the emotional weight of these experiences, leading to a reduction in the intensity of depressive symptoms. This can result in improved mood, increased self-esteem, and a greater sense of overall well-being.
Anxiety
EMDR can be a powerful tool in alleviating various forms of anxiety, including social, academic, and performance-related concerns. EMDR addresses the underlying causes of anxiety by targeting and reprocessing distressing memories or negative beliefs. This leads to a reduction in overall anxiety levels and empowers individuals to approach future challenges with greater confidence and a more balanced perspective.
Low Self-Esteem
EMDR therapy can be a transformative tool in addressing low self-esteem. By targeting and reprocessing negative beliefs and past experiences that contribute to feelings of inadequacy, EMDR helps individuals develop a more positive self-image. This process allows for a shift in self-perception, fostering increased confidence, self-worth, and a stronger sense of personal value.
Relationships
EMDR therapy can be incredibly beneficial for individuals struggling with relationships and attachment issues. By addressing underlying traumas or negative beliefs related to relationships, it helps individuals process and reframe these experiences. This leads to healthier relationship patterns, improved communication, and a greater capacity for trust and intimacy, ultimately fostering more fulfilling and satisfying connections with others.
Parenting
EMDR therapy can be a valuable resource for parents facing challenges in their role. By addressing any past traumas or negative beliefs related to parenting, it helps individuals process these experiences and develop a more confident and effective parenting style. This can lead to improved communication, stronger bonds with children, and a greater sense of self-assuredness in navigating the complexities of parenthood.
Addictive Behaviors
EMDR therapy can be a powerful tool in addressing addictive behaviors. By targeting and reprocessing the underlying traumas or negative beliefs that contribute to these behaviors, EMDR helps individuals gain insight into their triggers and develop healthier coping mechanisms. This process can lead to reduced cravings, increased self-control, and a greater sense of empowerment in overcoming addictive patterns, ultimately supporting long-term recovery.
What to Expect from an EMDR Session at Repose
You will be asked a set of questions to access the negative experience and the desired adaptive resolution. However, unlike many other therapy modalities, in EMDR, a client does not need to provide details or narrate their traumatic experiences in order to reprocess them.
Sets of rapid eye movement (or other forms of bilateral stimulation) will be applied and alternated with brief processing of what you are experiencing.
You will be encouraged to “free associate” and allow the brain to work through the experience.
EMDR processing will continue until the past experience has been updated to an adaptive present perspective.
With chronic trauma, the EMDR for trauma process may take multiple sessions.
benefits of EMDR therapy
EMDR: A Somatic Therapy
Although EMDR incorporates aspects of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), it is also considered a somatic therapy. This is because it recognizes the profound connection between the mind and body in healing. During EMDR sessions, bilateral stimulation techniques like eye movements or tapping engage the body's innate self-soothing mechanisms, promoting a state of calmness. This somatic approach allows individuals to process and integrate distressing experiences more fully, fostering a holistic healing process that addresses both emotional and physiological aspects of trauma recovery.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I know if I'll benefit from EMDR?You may benefit from EMDR if you have experienced traumatic events or distressing memories that continue to impact your emotional wellbeing. Additionally, if you struggle with symptoms of anxiety, depression, or post-traumatic stress, EMDR can be a valuable therapeutic option. That said, EMDR is a versatile therapy, so it can be applied to a wide variety of issues.
How effective is EMDR?
EMDR therapy has demonstrated high levels of effectiveness in numerous clinical studies and has been endorsed by organizations such as the American Psychological Association and the World Health Organization. It has shown substantial success in treating conditions like post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), anxiety, and depression, with many individuals experiencing significant symptom reduction after a relatively short course of treatment. While the vast majority of our clients have experienced positive results from EMDR, like any form of therapy, individual results may vary.
How many EMDR sessions will I need?
The number of EMDR sessions needed can vary depending on individual factors such as the nature and severity of the trauma, as well as personal progress in therapy. Some individuals may experience positive results in just a few sessions, while others may require more extensive treatment.
Can I do EMDR and talk therapy at the same time?
Absolutely! In fact, doing both EMDR and talk therapy is a common and effective approach. Talk therapy can provide a valuable space for processing emotions and discussing ongoing concerns, while EMDR targets specific traumatic memories to promote healing. Many individuals find that the combination of both therapies offers a comprehensive and well-rounded approach to their mental health.
Why do EMDR at Repose?
Repose’s EMDR-certified therapists undergo an extremely comprehensive, 46-hour EMDR training that is approved by EMDRIA, the gold standard for EMDR training and certification worldwide. Upon certification, our EMDR-certified therapists attend regular supervision with an EMDR specialist to ensure we continue to offer high quality, trauma-informed care. EMDR can be a complex and sensitive process, and it’s essential that your therapist be highly trained and trauma-informed. Repose has taken extensive measures to ensure your EMDR therapy experience with us is effective, sensitive, and professional.
Can EMDR be done virtually?
Yes! EMDR therapy can be done virtually, and research shows that virtual EMDR is just as effective as in-person EMDR.
Where can I learn more about EMDR therapy?
If you’d like a more in-depth explanation of EMDR, we invite you to check out this comprehensive video created by EMDRIA, the professional association for EMDR practitioners and researchers.
“Doing EMDR therapy has been life-changing for me. It has allowed me to heal in ways I never thought were possible.”
The Science Behind EMDR
EMDR is rooted in cutting-edge neuroscience and psychological research. The process of EMDR temporarily calms the overactive amygdala and aligns brainwave activity, aiding in the processing of traumatic memories. This dual-action mechanism is crucial in reducing the emotional charge attached to distressing experiences. When a distressing memory is accessed, EMDR incorporates bilateral stimulation, often through guided eye movements. This rhythmic activation fosters a more balanced integration of the memory, making it less overwhelming and more manageable. Numerous studies affirm the effectiveness of EMDR, particularly in the treatment of conditions like PTSD, solidifying its status as a research-backed approach to trauma recovery.
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Finding an EMDR Therapist in
New York, New Jersey, & Connecticut
Repose therapists work with clients in New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, and abroad. We offer virtual and in-person EMDR therapy out of our Westchester, New York office. To learn more about EMDR therapy at Repose and get matched with a licensed therapist, book your complimentary consultation with us today.
