What is EMDR?
Eye Movement Desensitisation Reprocessing (EMDR) is a technique used by trained therapists to process traumatic memories. The technique involves using bilateral stimulation which is stimulation on both sides of the body. This can be visual, auditory or tactical. This type of stimulation, in conjunction with other components of EMDR, can help change our relationship with traumatic memories. For some people, this means the memories might be less distressing or vivid, or they may be able to make sense of what happened, accept it as part of their history, and put it into perspective.
Symptoms of trauma can have far-reaching, profound impacts on our sexual health, mental health and relationships. This can include the daily experiences of active symptoms of trauma, like flashbacks, hypervigilance, dissociation, avoidance or changes in mood. It can also include the flow on effects of trauma in all the domains of our functioning and life.
Traumatic experiences prompt our brain to adapt and keep us safe. This can shape the way we think, function, and live our lives. For example, after a trauma, someone might develop a tendency to avoid confrontation, get angry when they feel misunderstood, or drink alcohol to help numb difficult emotions. These changes might be helpful at one point in life, but they might start causing difficulties further down the line.
Re-processing memories using techniques like EMDR can not only help us to feel less distressed by the memory itself, it can also help resolve many of the connected symptoms. Research now indicates it is one of the most effective treatments of trauma and a range of other mental health issues.
How does it work?
EMDR is a different experience for each person. All brains are different and there will be different techniques that are helpful for different people. Before you start EMDR processing, it is necessary that you and your therapist have a good understanding of your history, the way that your brain works, and other traumas you experienced in your life. It is also important that you have a shared understanding of what you need to feel safe and grounded in the session. Your safety is the most important priority, so it is important that you and your therapist have plans in place so that EMDR is a healing experience for you.
There are lots of steps and processes involved in EMDR, and your therapist will explain these to you before you commence. Your therapist will also customise this approach based on your feedback and how you respond to the techniques. Here some of the main components:
You and your therapist will identify a highly distressing memory, as well as the beliefs, emotions and body sensations you associate with this memory. Your therapist might prioritise memories that occurred earlier in your life and are most distressing, as processing these are more likely to be impactful.
In the therapy session, you will recall the memory as vividly as you can and call to mind the emotions you felt, what you thought and the body sensation associated with the memory.
Your therapist will ask you to attend to bilateral stimulation while recalling the memory - this can include watching their hand move back-and-forth across your field of vision, watching a light do the same, alternating tapping of your left and right shoulders or feet, or listening to sound in alternating ears.
After a period of focusing on the stimulation and memory, your therapist will ask you to pause and take a deep breathe.
Your therapist will then ask you what you notice. There is no right or answer here. This is just helpful feedback for your therapist; they will know how to make adjustments to the process so it is more effective and helpful for you.
This process will repeat over the course of the session, or sometimes over a few, until the memory is less distressing or your relationship with it has changed.
After each session, your therapist will set up a plan about what to do in between, including what you can do if you are still feeling distressed or recall other memories.
Your brain will continue to process the memory after the session, especially when you are sleeping.
Your therapist will ask you to recall the memory the following session to see if there is any distress left to be processed.
What everyone experiences throughout this process is different - there is no right or wrong. Your therapist’s role is to support you through the process and accommodate for your individual needs.
What can EMDR treat?
Anxiety
Depression
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
Complex trauma
Attachment trauma
Sexual trauma
Trauma resulting from undiagnosed neurodivergence or from living in a neuronormative world
Trauma resulting from marginalised experiences
Sexual symptoms where trauma is the driving the symptoms eg. dyspareunia, difficulties with with orgasm, difficulties with intimacy, sexual addiction
Is EMDR right for me?
If you have memories or future-focused fears that cause distress for you, EMDR could be a helpful technique to explore with your therapist. Every person is different, and it is important that you and your therapist discuss your treatment needs and what will work best for you.
In order for EMDR to be most effective, you need to be willing and able to be present with and recall a traumatic memory. Sometimes it is necessary to work on strategies that allow you to do this first, like grounding techniques and emotional regulation (e.g., breathing) and building safety with your therapist.
One of the benefits of EMDR is that you do not need to verbally share all the details of the memory with your therapist. There will be some information that they will need in order to help with the processing, however the rest can remain as your private, internal experience. This is unique to EMDR, as other traumatic memory processing techniques rely on discussing the memory in detail with your therapist.
It is also important that you are able to shed a new light on the memory and see it from a different perspective. Sometimes, it is helpful to explore the memory using different techniques first so that you can make sense of it in a different way (e.g., using Schema Therapy or CBT). It might be helpful to plan EMDR processing with your therapist after you have built up this new understanding together.
At SHIPS, we have practitioners who are trained in EMDR processing. If you are interested in this therapy, you can book a session to learn more.
