Food for Thought: What is EMDR?

You have often heard of the adage “the eyes are the windows of the soul.”

Eye movement desensitization reprocessing (EMDR) is a complex approach to psychotherapy that combines elements from a number of therapeutic methods including psychodynamics, cognitive, behavioral, and Freudian-based therapies.

EMDR alleviates physical and emotional complaints resulting from traumatic or upsetting experiences. It is based on the assumption that specific traumatic experiences from the past can continue to govern a person’s response in the present.

These experiences can be large traumas that result in post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), a condition characterized by sleeplessness, anxiety, and phobias; or they can be smaller traumas that have a less dramatic but negative impact on personality and behavior. EMDR works to bring these traumatic memories to a positive resolution.

How does it work? No one knows exactly how EMDR works. According to Francine Shapiro, the originator, trauma becomes frozen in the brain and is insufficiently processed; thus remaining in the brain.

Not only the memory but the initial emotions, perceptions, and physical feelings existing at the time of the trauma also becomes frozen, and can be triggered by events in the present.

The result can become a range of psychological problems including anxiety and depression, difficulties relating to others, phobias, panic attacks, post traumatic stress disorder and more.

During EMDR therapy a client works with a specially trained therapist to target the disturbing memories while using visual, tactile or audio stimulus.

Dr. Shapiro explains her technique stimulates right brain, left brain and processes memories that were “trapped” as a result of the trauma. The client is then able to go back and reprocess the information in a more positive, less distressing way.

Harvard assistant psychiatry professor Robert Stickgold has another theory on how the eye movement used in EMDR works to relieve trauma. He likens the memory reprocessing technique to the processing of memories that occurs during the deep rapid eye movement (REM) stage of sleep - the stage when dreams take place.

Research shows memories often play out during dreams in order to be processed and stored. Traumatic memories that are insufficiently processed can manifest in recurrent dreams, and cause continuous distress.

Stickgold suggest that by doing the rapid eye movements of EMDR, clients access troubling memories in a similar way to what occurs during REM sleep.

Since its creation as a therapeutic method EMDR has been used primarily to treat post traumatic stress disorder. The therapy has been and continues to be extensively used to help survivors and rescue workers cope with emotional trauma, torture and terror attacks.

Other successful areas of EMDR application include treating phobias, panic disorders, personality disorders, substance abuse, sexual abuse, nightmares, and pubic performance anxiety.

Dr. Shapiro believes EMDR should be used within a comprehensive treatment plan designed by a licensed clinician who has had special training in this method. This technique is a powerful tool and can be dangerous when used by practitioners who have not received formal training.

Dr. Leta A. Livoti Ph.D.,LCSW, LCPC is a psychotherapist in Thompson Falls. She can be contacted at 827-0700.