EMDR in Laymen’s terms – Introduction to EMDR therapy for PTSD, trauma and other anxiety concerns

Have you experienced something very frightening, were exposed to an accident or are a survivor of sexual abuse? Whatever traumatic past you have had, you know that in most cases counseling and therapy can help you feel better. But who to turn to and what to look for? While EMDR therapy is not as new as some people may think, it is receiving more and more attention through media, PTSD support groups, Veteran organizations, survivors of sexual abuse programs and many other mental health related platforms. So in today’s blog, I decided to give some layman information and facts on EMDR therapy, plus EMDR therapists and counselors.

EMDR's founder, Francine Shapiro, discovered the concept by chance in 1987. While walking in a park she realized on herself how eye movements had a calming effect on emotional distress. She then had other individuals experience and confirm her personal observations. However, Shapiro realized that only the eye movements themselves were not enough, so she added a cognitive treatment component and developed a standard protocol. In 1989 the first research studies about the effects of EMDR and the treatment of PTSD (Posttraumatic Stress Disorder) were published that showed significant treatment effects for a majority of clients. Shapiro continued to research the treatment effects and kept developing her therapy approach by implementing client and other therapist’s feedback. Until today various studies have been published that show the positive treatment effects of EMDR in trauma therapy. Overall EMDR is not effective with every mental health problem, but shows effectiveness with disorders that are due to a trauma related memory (www.EMDR.com).

So what is EMDR? EMDR, which is short for Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing, presents a psychotherapy and counseling model that allows people to heal from the emotional distress and symptoms as a result of an upsetting or traumatic life experience. This therapy has proven to provide quicker relief than other previously applied counseling methods, which makes it become more and more popular. Generally, the brain has the power to heal itself after a psychological trauma. However, sometimes it gets blocked and this is when EMDR can help by removing this block and allowing healing to take place. You can compare it to the healing of a scrape cut on your knee. Usually it heals quickly unless something is stuck in the wound. Whenever the wound has been cleaned recovery can continue rapidly which is what EMDR tries to achieve.

The EMDR therapy protocol includes 8 phases starting with the history taking, (assessment of readiness). Phase 2 incorporates learning and practicing of distress tolerance skills (coping skills) to control strong emotions that are coming up in and outside of session while receiving EMDR therapy. Phases 3-6 include the following components: identifying the target(s) for processing, describing a visual image that represents the specific event, stating a negative believe connected to the event, identifying related emotions and body sensations, finding a positive thought to connect with the event and rating the current emotions plus feelings of truth of the positive thought. The goal of phases 3-6 is to decrease the intense negative emotions and body sensations through bilateral stimulations while holding the image and target in mind plus installing the positive thought. Phase seven is the closure stage by helping the client calm down and applying self-soothing strategies. Furthermore, the client will be instructed on using a personal journal to keep track of new material that may arises outside of session. The last phase, which usually is at the beginning of the following session, presents an evaluation of the previous week’s process and possible identifying of new materials that have to be addressed.

Side effects of EMDR can be upsetting and unresolved memories that come up. Some clients experience reactions during a session that neither they nor the therapist expected like very high levels of emotions and/or physical sensations. Also, after a session the processing of materials very likely continues and other dreams, memories and feelings can arise. Due to these possible side effects it is crucial that the client is ready to start EMDR therapy, has a good support system and a pallet of coping skills to choose from in order to self-regulate in and outside of the counseling session. Certain individuals who have been exposed to severe trauma may show high levels of dissociation, which in layman terms presents an altered level of awareness. In these instances, it is important to work with an EMDR therapist that is experienced in handling these issues because further unexpected emotions, and feelings may arise which need more attention.

 If you are considering EMDR therapy and want to look for a counselor who is providing these services, a good website to check is www.EMDRIA.org. You will have the choice to search for EMDR trained and certified therapists. Counselors and therapists who are EMDR trained have had the basic level 1 and 2 training, which includes internship and supervision hours. EMDR certified therapists have provided a certain amount of EMDR therapy after their level 1 and 2 training, completed continuing education hours and supervision through an EMDR consultant. Certified EMDR counselors are in most cases better equipped to help clients who are experiencing high levels of dissociation due to a traumatic event Since the term high levels of dissociation is very difficult to measure for a layperson, EMDR trained and certified therapists are able to use an assessment tool which can help determine the severity of dissociation. Overall, every individual experiences some level of dissociation throughout the day. One example of this experience would be driving in a car and making it home but then having forgotten how you got here or being surprised of how late it already is even though the car ride seemed to have gone by quickly. These instances of dissociation do not mean they are a problem, which has to be addressed by an EMDR counselor. Dissociation due to trauma can be much more severe with various types of memory loss or out of body experiences. In very tough cases they may include the development of various new identities to suppress the pain. If you are struggling with hyper-vigilance, muscle tension, anxiety which appears to come out of nowhere or in response to certain triggers, have trouble with your sleep, flashbacks, nightmares, anger or emotional outbursts and other symptoms that possibly could be related to one or many frightening past events, consider consulting a therapist who provides EMDR treatment. The counselor can determine through a thorough assessment if this type of therapy is appropriate for you. Feel free to contact me with any questions, leave a comment or contact me to schedule a consult if you are interested to see if EMDR is right for you.

Have I been traumatized? Do I need help?

While starting my private practice, friends often asked me what I am going to specialize in. My idea was putting special focus on treating trauma victims, depressed and anxious clients.  The next question surprised and also confused me alike. Many asked: “What do you mean by trauma? What is that?” Turns out, most of them had no idea what falls under the category of psychological trauma.

So here we go. What is trauma? And have I been traumatized?

The Google online dictionary describes a psychological trauma as a deeply distressing or disturbing event.

How we know if we have been traumatized is by our emotional and physical reactions to the specific event. When I was 16 years old my father and I had been in a head collision car accident with another driver. Thankfully none of us had severe physical injuries, however, something changed that day. Lets say, for a couple years I became a terrible passenger. I was the person who would tell you to keep the distance, push my imaginary breaks, and hold on to the side handle whenever I thought there was danger ahead, which was pretty much always.

So what happened here? How did I become this annoying passenger who appeared to be very critical of everyone’s driving. The truth is, I did get hurt in that car accident, maybe not physically but mentally.

Years after I was still fearful driving in a car. Having gone through training in psychotherapy I know now what happened. I experienced a traumatic event, which is something that had me fear for my life, my father’s life, and fear of severe physical injury. Whenever I was exposed to triggers that reminded me consciously or unconsciously of this event, I was right back in the moment of that accident. Triggers can be stimuli like certain sounds, smells, feelings, tastes, pictures, etc. that are reminiscent of the experience.

 I have worked on my traumatic event by using EMDR (a trauma treatment), gradual exposure therapy and practicing relaxation skills, which at least allows me now to drive my own car without fear and have almost no emotional outbursts as a co-pilot. Therapy has helped me to process some of the distorted thoughts and feelings that I overgeneralized to situations while driving in a car.  

Traumatic events can be anything, starting with an accident, a fight, abuse, loss of someone or just observing something very scary. The severity of the trauma response reaction will depend on our personal genetics, environmental factors and psychological resources. An event that has a lasting effect on one may not have the same on another person.

Typical symptoms of having been traumatized can look different in children and adults. Here is a sample list of possible reactions to traumatic events: sleep difficulties, headaches and other physical pain, feeling isolated from others, flashbacks, changes in sex drive, nightmares, anxiety attacks, “spacing out” (going away in your mind), sadness, dizziness, angry outbursts, uncontrollable crying, memory problems, feeling guilt, having trouble breathing, thoughts of self-harm and more.

Will you need to see a therapist whenever you have experienced a traumatic event? The answer is no.  Some reactions are very normal, especially immediately after exposure, and will disappear over time. I would recommend seeing a mental health professional who specializes in this area, like me, when the symptoms interfere with the quality of your daily life.