This amazing information is from the EMDR Institute, found online at www.emdr.com,
and EMDR is an evidence-based treatment widely available to treat PTSD. It is an eight-phase treatment that focuses
attention on three distinct time periods: the past, present, and future. Sessions
often last between 60-90 minutes.
The eight-phases include:
History-taking: In this phase, the therapist
obtains a detailed history of the client’s past memories and current struggles.
During this phase, the therapist will try and identify targets for the EMDR
processing (these can be distressing memories or incidents).
Client preparation: This is where the client
learns techniques for active healing trauma processing. The therapist will go
over strategies, suggest relaxation techniques, and other coping strategies that
can help their client deal with emotional distress and maintain improvements as
the sessions progress.
Assessment: In this phase, the client is asked
to picture an image closely related to the target memory and to elicit the
negative response and beliefs associated with the memory. The client is also
asked to identify a positive belief that they would like to believe instead.
Desensitization: The therapist ask their
client to focus on a specific memory, belief, or emotional trigger while
simultaneously engaging in bilateral stimulation (BLS). BLS consists of
alternating right and left stimulation, whether it’s tapping of the toes or
tapping on the shoulders. It can also include audio or visual stimulation with
the use of light. This stimulation may include eye movements, taps, or tones.
It is believed that BLS used in EMDR activates
both hemispheres of the brain, which is believed to have a soothing effect, dim
the intensity of the memory while allowing the client space to process it
without an overwhelming psychological response. This continues until that
memory is no longer triggering for the client.
Installation: With the help of the therapist,
this is where the client starts to replace negative thoughts with positive ones.
Continuing to review the triggering memory with BLS, the client is asked to
assess the emotional response and rate it against the positive belief (brought
up during the assessment phase) they would prefer to associate it with.
Body scan: Here, the client is assessed for
changes in body sensations when thinking of the negative incident and positive
thought. Any remaining tension in the body is targeted by the therapist for
additional processing.
Closure: Client’s will be asked to write down
any thoughts or emotions that arise during the coming week, and will be
reminded of the self-soothing techniques they learned during the session to
process any negative thoughts that may surface.
Reevaluation: This phase is to review and/or
assess for other targets that cause distressing emotion within the chosen
memory.
EMDR is one of the treatments available for PTSD, and there are several great options. Don’t stress out about which treatment to choose.
Most cognitive-behavior therapies for PTSD work by exposing clients repeatedly
to anxiety-provoking stimuli, either in their imagination (imaginal exposure)
or in real life (in vivo exposure). When exposure to either type is
sufficiently prolonged, clients’ anxiety dissipates.
If we try one treatment for PTSD nd it doesn’t work, we have others more to fall back on. If we try others and they don’t work, we may be
dealing with Complex PTSD, treatment-resistant PTSD, or have co-occurring
disorders to work through. Do not lose hope, this simply means we have a little
more work to do with our treatment professional to come up with a more targeted
course of action.
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