What is EMDR?
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) is a psychotherapy approach that has gained recognition for its effectiveness in treating trauma and other distressing experiences. Developed by Francine Shapiro in the late 1980s, EMDR involves a structured eight-phase process to help individuals process distressing memories and alleviate the associated emotional distress.
The core of EMDR revolves around bilateral stimulation, typically achieved through guided eye movements. During a session, a trained therapist guides the individual to recall a distressing memory while simultaneously engaging in specific eye movements or other forms of bilateral stimulation. This process aims to stimulate the brain's information processing mechanisms, allowing the individual to reprocess the memory in a way that reduces its emotional intensity.
The eight phases of EMDR include history-taking, treatment planning, and the actual reprocessing phases. The therapist helps the individual identify a target memory and associated negative beliefs, facilitating the exploration of more adaptive and positive perspectives. As the individual engages in bilateral stimulation, the therapist observes and guides the process, fostering the integration of new, less distressing associations with the targeted memory.
Research suggests that EMDR is effective in treating conditions such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and other trauma-related disorders. It is believed that the bilateral stimulation helps unlock and reprocess memories that were previously maladaptively stored. EMDR's success has led to its widespread use in mental health settings, offering individuals a unique and innovative therapeutic approach to overcome the lingering effects of trauma.
The core of EMDR revolves around bilateral stimulation, typically achieved through guided eye movements. During a session, a trained therapist guides the individual to recall a distressing memory while simultaneously engaging in specific eye movements or other forms of bilateral stimulation. This process aims to stimulate the brain's information processing mechanisms, allowing the individual to reprocess the memory in a way that reduces its emotional intensity.
The eight phases of EMDR include history-taking, treatment planning, and the actual reprocessing phases. The therapist helps the individual identify a target memory and associated negative beliefs, facilitating the exploration of more adaptive and positive perspectives. As the individual engages in bilateral stimulation, the therapist observes and guides the process, fostering the integration of new, less distressing associations with the targeted memory.
Research suggests that EMDR is effective in treating conditions such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and other trauma-related disorders. It is believed that the bilateral stimulation helps unlock and reprocess memories that were previously maladaptively stored. EMDR's success has led to its widespread use in mental health settings, offering individuals a unique and innovative therapeutic approach to overcome the lingering effects of trauma.
Midway Mediation & Counseling
1095 Pingree Rd., Suite 221, Crystal Lake, IL 60014
(224) 333-0267 [email protected]
1095 Pingree Rd., Suite 221, Crystal Lake, IL 60014
(224) 333-0267 [email protected]