A structured therapy that encourages the patient to briefly focus on trauma memory while simultaneously experiencing bilateral stimulation (usually eye movements), which is associated with a reduction in the intensity and emotion associated with memories of the trauma. Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) refers to an interactive psychotherapy technique used to relieve psychological stress. In 1990, psychologist Francine Shapiro developed a new type of psychotherapy known as Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing or EMDR. Unlike other forms of therapy that focus on changing emotions, thoughts, and behaviors resulting from distressing experiences, EMDR therapy focuses directly on specific memory to change how it is stored in the brain.
This theory, developed by Francine Shapiro, PhD, who also developed EMDR, recognizes that the brain stores normal and traumatic memories differently. Many therapists who offer EMDR specialize in treating mental health symptoms related to trauma, but some may choose to work only with people who experience PTSD. Although most research on EMDR has examined its use in people with PTSD, EMDR is sometimes used experimentally to treat many other psychological problems. In the United States, the Department of Veterans Affairs and the Department of Defense list EMDR as a “best practice for treating veterans suffering from PTSD.
As this therapy is in the infantile stage compared to other basic psychotherapies, many more studies need to be done to understand the variety of areas in which EMDR can be used. During the client preparation phase, the physician will ensure that EMDR safety protocols are addressed by establishing images or memories that the client can return to whenever trauma therapy becomes overwhelming (Parnell, 201.According to the EMDR Research Foundation, more than 30 studies have documented the effectiveness of the EMDR therapy over the past 30 years for issues such as rape and sexual abuse, combat trauma, child trauma and neglect, life-threatening accidents, and symptoms such as anxiety, depression, and substance abuse. As EMDR was found to have an immediate benefit, the therapist explained about EMDR and obtained consent to work with the therapy. If you want to try EMDR for another mental health problem, such as panic disorder or symptoms of psychosis, it's always worth asking potential therapists what experience they have in treating that problem.
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) therapy is a psychotherapy that uses left-right (bilateral) rhythmic stimulation to help people recover from trauma or other distressing life experiences. EMDR is generally recommended for people living with overwhelming traumatic memories and symptoms of PTSD. EMDR essentially reconfigures your brain to remove the negative emotional charge of a traumatic event, so that you can remember the details of the event without feelings of distress. In EMDR, the customer is asked to enter a state of relaxing trance to remember carefully the sensory information they collected during a traumatic event.
