EMDR, Briefly explained
EMDR is a safe, effective, and very well-researched therapy (source). The APA and WHO have listed EMDR as an effective treatment option for trauma (source). It has helped countless individuals heal from the effects of disturbing or traumatic events. So, what is EMDR? How does it work? How does it feel? In this post, I’ll explain it the way I normally do to my clients.
What is EMDR?
EMDR stands for Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing. It is a comprehensive 8-phase approach which is designed to help your brain reprocess traumatic experiences from the past so that they no longer cause you distress in the present.
How does it work?
Memories are stored in our brains in networks. When something triggers a traumatic memory network, we experience specific thoughts, feelings, images, sensations, behaviours, and/or beliefs that are associated with the trauma. It can feel very distressing, like we’re reliving that same experience.
Our brain’s memory networks are like strings of lights on a house. Different strings “light up” to help us deal with different situations. When we learn new things, different strings “link up” to strengthen our skills. For example, an old memory network about riding a bike might link up with a newer memory network about driving a motorized scooter. When these networks light up and link up, we have access to the most updated information about riding on 2 wheels.
Memory networks impacted by trauma don’t work like that. They light up, but they do not link up. When they light up, they are so bright that it’s like they outshine the rest of our brain’s networks. Furthermore, they light up in isolation, meaning they don’t link up to the other strings. So, when trauma from the past is triggered, we temporarily lose access to information that helps us remember that we’re safe in the present.
In EMDR, we “light up” the string of lights that is associated with trauma, and then "link it up” with the rest of the brain’s existing strings. Next time the traumatized string of lights is lit up, it won’t outshine the rest. The result is that even when that string is lit up, we maintain access to helpful beliefs we have such as “I’m safe”, “I’m in control”, or “It wasn’t my fault”. We still have that string of lights and the memory, but the present-day experience loses its charge.
Before EMDR, traumatic experiences “light up” so brightly in our brains that we can’t access other, more helpful information; After EMDR, traumatic experiences “link up” with existing memory networks
How does it feel?
In EMDR, reprocessing can feel intense. However, it does not begin until clients are ready. The preparation process includes a phase called Resourcing, wherein your therapist will guide you to access skills and images that help you feel safe and calm inside. These resources help throughout the process of therapy and ensure that you’re well equipped to handle the emotions that come up during reprocessing sessions.
During reprocessing sessions, your therapist will guide you to “light up” the memory network associated with your trauma so it can successfully “link up” with other networks. Your therapist will use back-and-forth stimulation (eye movements or tapping) at this stage. You may feel body sensations, experience images, and notice thoughts/beliefs associated with your trauma. Your job is to simply notice this, like you’re on a train and you’re watching different scenery go by. This continues with the back-and-forth stimulation until the lit up memory is less distressing.
The reprocessing part of EMDR is understandably a source of apprehension for people who have survived trauma. Thankfully, EMDR is not about reliving the past. You always have one foot in the past and one foot in the present. Your therapist is there to help you safely process the experience. So, while you may feel some disturbance, in successful EMDR you also feel the support of your therapist and the comfort of the space you are in, and you also have reliable access to the resources that your therapist helped you to develop. Your therapist will ensure you do not leave the room in a state of distress.
My clients have used words like “opening up”, “settling”, “grounding”, “shifting”, “reworking”, “re-orienting”, and “ease” to describe how it feels when a memory is successfully resolved in EMDR. They also say it feels empowering, like you have new choices and new options that were previously unavailable to you because the string of lights was simply too bright.
Conclusion
There’s lots more to learn about EMDR, how it works, and how it feels. Hopefully this post acts as an introduction for those who may be interested but have felt mystified by EMDR! Feel free to reach out if you’d like to know more.
