What is EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing)
EMDR is a form of psychotherapy designed for working with distressing or traumatic experiences. The theory behind EMDR is that many psychological difficulties are the result of distressing life experiences which have not been stored properly in the brain's memory banks so they are "blocked or unprocessed".
Normal memories are stored in the part of the brain called the hippocampus (the brain's librarian that tags events and stores them in the right place. However, some traumatic experiences like accidents, abuse, disasters, violence, or war are so overwhelming that the Hippocampus doesn't do its job correctly and memories get stored in their raw, unprocessed form in the part of the brain called the Amygdala (our brain's danger alarm system). The Amygdala's job is to keep us safe by alerting us to danger by triggering our internal fight or flight response. Unfortunately, the Amygdala is not very good at distinguishing between real danger and memories of old danger. So, it can set off the alarm when we are consciously or unconsciously thinking about an unpleasant event from the past, even though the danger has long passed. When memories are stored in the wrong place it can feel like the trauma is happening again.
What will you be asked to do in an EMDR session?
There are 8 phases to EMDR Treatment. Phase 4 is the beginning of the desensitization process.
Some of the key steps of desensitization are:
- Think of a troubling target memory, then identify an image of the worst moment of the memory
- Identify a negative belief you have about yourself from the worst moment (Dr. Tamargo might ask "what is the worst thing that moment says about you?")
- Identify the emotions and body sensations that you experience when you visualize the trauma & think about the negative self-talk
- Think about the image and negative beliefs you have about yourself while at the same time you experience bilateral stimulation - either with eye movements, tapping sensations, or alternating sounds
- Allow your mind to notice whatever comes up and give a brief description of what you experience
- Repeat the processing of the memory until it causes significantly less distress
What is EMDR used to treat?
Research shows that EMDR is an effective treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and it is recommended by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) for PTSD. There is evidence that EMDR is useful for treating other conditions like Depression, Phobias, Anxiety, Panic Disorder, Health Anxiety, Grief, and Compulsive or Addictive Behaviors, and is particularly beneficial if these problems involve trauma memories or other distressing memories. Sexual Abuse Victims and Combat Veterans respond very well to PTSD. Children, Adolescents, and Adults may all be treated with EMDR.
How long does EMDR take?
EMDR sessions are typically 90-minute-long sessions up to 120-minute sessions. The number of sessions needed will depend on the type, complexity, and severity, of trauma experienced. NICE estimates that 8-12 sessions may be needed to treat simpler traumas, with more sessions are necessary for multiple traumas.
If you have been traumatized or your current traditional "talk" therapy is not resolving your problems, call Dr. Tamargo to see if you are an acceptable candidate for EMDR. Dr. Tamargo has advanced training & certification in treating Anxiety, Depression, and Trauma
