What can I expect in an EMDR Therapy Session?

EMDR therapy is a treatment approach based in the neurobiological understanding health and healing. It is an integrative, mind-body approach. Our bodies posses a natural adaptive information processing mechanism which enable us to adapt and grow.

EMDR stands for Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing Therapy. This is an 8-Phase Evidence Based Approach to Trauma Treatment.

Making the decision to enter therapy can be challenging. It can be confusing trying to understand the many different approaches in treatment. Here is what you might expect from me as an EMDR therapist.

EMDR therapy is a treatment approach based in the neurobiological understanding health and healing. It is an integrative, mind-body approach. Our mind-bodies posses a natural adaptive information processing mechanism which enable us to adapt and grow. As an EMDR therapist, when a prospective client shares about their present day concern, and symptoms I empathetically listen to the client's challenges and concerns, goals and if there is previous treatment and how it did or did not work. I am also listening for the neurobiological clues how the concern is neurobiologically linked with the past and exhibiting in the nervous system.

Initially sessions are focused on resourcing and building a physiological sense of stability, support and context. From a neurobiological perspective, it is important that we take the initial time to get to know each other and ensure a collaborative "fit." It is well researched fact that the quality of the therapeutic relationship is the most important healing aspect of therapy.

If you been to therapy before, so far this probably sounds familiar. However, there are some things that may will be new and different about EMDR therapy sessions.

1. Emphasis of your mind, body and autonomic nervous system (ANS). It is important to know the basic premise of neuroplasticity (what fires together wires together). Our bodies are hard-wired for survival and secondarily for processing. When trauma (an overloaded nervous system) occurs, your survival instincts can become highly engaged, rigid or "stuck" and the flexibility of coming out of these states is less accessible.

2. Our first phase of therapy focus on understanding the body's language, using various tools to support, developing inner and outer resources and to find windows of calm. Dr. Dan Siegel developed the term The window of Tolerance, which means we are able to engage in a felt sense of our bodies and are able to retain capacity in the nervous system to assist the natural processing mechanism. When our nervous system has been dysregulated, or in survival states, we have a hard time "calming down."

3. EMDR is a trauma-informed approach. The opposite of the powerlessness of trauma is safety and choice. Trauma-informed care principles guide of safety, choice, empowerment, mutual respect, collaboration and trust.

4. The use of the word "resource" or doing exercise that help you imagine 'as if'. A resource such as an imagined calming space, or quality or skill that will help you in your challenge begins to lay the foundation for the body to have the capacity to process the adverse event. The nervous system cannot tell the difference between a thought and an actual event.

5. The use of bi-lateral stimulation,(bls). As your therapist I will likely ask you to do some type of alternating movement in session. This may include eye movement, tapping, audio tones, etc. The alternation of bls, is due to several phsyiological mechanisms the therapist is engaging in variou ways to aid your processing mechanism. One way I describe this is think of when you have been upset, taken a walk (bls) with a friend and talked about the disturbance. What typically happens is there is a sense of relief in the body-mind. That's a great way to think about how bls is supporting your session.

6. Some sessions may also focus on 'parts work' helping integrate and work with aspects of self that may be in conflict with one another. Have you ever heard yourself say, a part of me would like to do this (such as attend an event) and another part of me would like to do that (such as stay at home). This is parts work and the therapist may need to take some time working with these systems of parts.

7. These initial phases are helping with nervous system repair , time orienting and building attention capacity in the body and mind. Trauma, or adverse events in which become overloaded, impact time orientation, attention span, and reactivity (survival instincts). Just think of the last time you had way to many things going on and you lost your keys! This is a small example of how our mind-body work when too many things are trying to be processed all at once and why we do these inital phase of treatment in EMDR sesions prior to working directly with the adverse events.

8. Once a client is ready for direct reprocessing, sessions are more specifically outlined together. As symptoms are prioritized reprocessing sessions occur. These sessions use a protocol, or a specific way in which we help the brain and the body reprocess the event while using bls to resolve the 'stuck' mechanism. By this time in therapy, you and your therapist have built a strong partnership and the therapist helps guide you through the 'stuck' parts of the past, present and future to resolve symptoms.

9. The last unique element of an EMDR therapy session is that re-evaluating and closing occurs within each session. Re-evaluating means, how is the therapy working for you what positive changes are you experiencing? Closing means learning to 'set things aside' or using containment strategies so there is less disturbance of the adverse event outside of sessions. Closing strategies may also be using a relaxation or orienting skill at the end of session prior to moving on with the rest of your day.

Hopefully this can help provide just a snapshot of the unique healing aspects of EMDR therapy and help you make an informed decision whether it may be right for you. Most therapists additionally offier a free consultation and can further answer any question you have about how EMDR may help you specifically.

More reputable information is availabe on the International Association of EMDR www.emdria.org