What is EMDR? You may have seen the news that Harry and Oprah are doing a docuseries on mental health and Harry is touting his work with EMDR. He even has a session recorded in which he uses EMDR.
What is EMDR?
EMDR stands for Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing. It was developed in the 1980s by Francine Shapiro and has become a well-known intervention for working with trauma. The technique uses eye movement which mimics the back and forth movement we see in rapid eye movement (REM) sleep. The belief is that when we are dreaming and in REM sleep, we are processing information from our day. Trauma memories have so much emotion attached that we cannot process this information readily. It essentially gets stuck. I think of it as shoving it to the side, putting it in a closet. The problem is, that closet gets full and eventually bursts open. Then we have flashbacks, triggers, etc.
How does EMDR work?
With EMDR, we use either back and forth movement of the eyes or any other bilateral stimulation such as tapping back and forth on one’s knees, or, in Harry’s case, he is tapping back and forth with his arms folded. When you watch the scene, you can see his eyes moving back and forth under his eyelids.
It is important to note – you are not dreaming, asleep, or hypnotized during this process. You are wide awake and alert. However, your brain lets you explore issues you normally can’t access. We watch a past scene as if in a movie and you can objectively look at the memory without feeling the emotion that is associated with it. Also, when we dream, the doors to other memories open up so you can bring up past memories you may not be aware of. I always say I have no idea where we will end up with EMDR because the brain takes us on a journey.
Why EMDR works for most people
At the end of the session or sessions, the memories can be processed because we have taken the emotion away so then your brain knows how to store it. We no longer have flashbacks, uneasy feelings, or triggers. During the session, some people do experience a lot of emotion and it can bring up other old issues, but if done correctly, by the end of the session, individuals usually feel a great sense of relief.
In my use of EMDR with clients, I have found this technique allows us to move the thinking, analytic brain to the side so we can really get to the core root of issues. With talk therapy, that thinking brain gets in the way, such as, “I have no issues with my mother, I already dealt with that.” or “I have forgiven my uncle for sexually abusing me.” When we use EMDR, we find that there are still residual issues left that need to be processed to really let things go.
EMDR is NOT just for trauma
I use it, for example, when clients get stuck in therapy or have just uneasy feelings that have no root or origin. It speeds up the therapeutic process to get to bigger issues more quickly. It is a very helpful tool to use in therapy especially when working with a trusting therapist. In the end, therapy is about the relationship between the client and the therapist. With EMDR, you have to have a trusting relationship to allow your brain to explore the hidden closets.
Thanks to Harry and Oprah for allowing the public access to this important technique and for continuing to de-stigmatize mental health issues!
Karen W. Malm, Ph.D.
Licensed Psychologist
Executive Director
Summit Community Counseling
