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Eye Movement
Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR). . . |
 Donna
has been trained in Eye Movement
Desensitization & Reprocessing (EMDR)
by Francine Shapiro, the Originator
of EMDR. Donna subsequently earned
her National Certification (one of
the few certified in the capital
district area) in EMDR from the
EMDRIA International Association.
She has been helping adults and
children overcome issues by using
EMDR since 1999.
EMDR is a technique that utilizes a
specific motion of the eyes in
concert with therapeutic guidance to
produce emotional healing at an
accelerated rate. Some people call
it the "Power Therapy".
EMDR is effective for anyone who has
ever experienced any upset that they
haven't yet recovered from. Since
1988 EMDR has been used to transform
psychological memory into objective
memory. After a great deal of
research, it was found that
bilateral stimulation of the body
could also have the same integrative
effect as the eye movements. Studies
found that taping or pulsing (i.e.
hands, shoulders, knees) was also
effective. Because traumatic
memories are stored differently than
ordinary memories they become
trapped in the brain, body and
nervous system in a fragmented,
unintegrated form. Talk therapy
alone is unable to adequately
resolve this old trauma.
EMDR can help people with appetite
disturbances, physical health
concerns, feeling "stuck", excess
stress, depression, anxiety, panic
attacks, nightmares, flashbacks,
obsessions, compulsions, eating
disorders, suicidal tendencies,
decreased self-esteem and PTSD
symptoms.
We know that disturbing memories
have a tendency to have lasting
effects on the way we see ourselves
and others and how we interact with
the world. These negative effects
sometimes block us from evolving to
our highest potential or from having
successful relationships.
Disturbing, traumatic events can be
categorized in two types; 1) Big
Trauma: Surviving a tornado, war,
car accident, physical, emotional or
sexual abuse, rape, torture,
mugging, life threatening events,
etc. 2) Small trauma: Experiencing
ridicule/shame, neglect as a child,
a hospital/medical event, prolonged
dying of a loved one, witnessing
trauma, being intimidated,
relationship losses, growing up in
an dysfunctional home environment,
etc. EMDR can be used for almost any
symptom.
 Donna
clarifies "I begin each EMDR session
by providing the person with a safe
inner place to go to. Then I explain
that because disturbing memories
become “frozen” in the brain and
other parts of the body, they will
be asked to recall what is seen,
felt, heard and thought during this
process. In this way the client is
able to bring up the intense
feelings of the event while I
alternately stimulate both sides of
the brain/body by using tapping,
sound, or eye movement in a safe
way".
After successful EMDR integration,
the memory that was previously
“intense” gradually becomes
“desensitized” or “digested” through
this process. In other words, there
is full recall of the event without
the previous feelings of anxiety,
disturbance and/or emotional pain.
Most people report that they feel
the event is now a distant memory
they can recall with more
objectivity and insight.
Additionally clients report they now
have a positive belief about
themselves (i.e. “I am important,”
“I am safe,” I am a good person”).
EMDR sessions are usually 60 or 90
minutes long. EMDR is done in the
context of an overall therapy plan.
If you begin with at least 3
sessions of EMDR it will give you
some indication of its effectiveness
for you and the rate of which you
are progressing. After that it's
dependent upon your individual needs
and goals.
- “EMDR (Eye Movement
Desensitization and
Reprocessing) has emerged as a
procedure to be reckoned with in
psychology… Almost a million
people have been treated. Also,
further research appears to
support the remarkable claims
made for EMDR therapy.”
– reported in The Washington
Post, July 21, 1995.
- “Where traditional therapies
may take years, EMDR takes only
a few sessions.”
– reported in The Stars and
Stripes, February 12, 1995.
- “New type of psychotherapy
seen as boon to traumatic
disorders.”
– reported in The New York
Times, October 26, 1997.
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EMDR Is
Considered A Treatment of Choice by
Numerous Mental Health
Organizations: |
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International Treatment
Guidelines |
- American
Psychiatric
Association (2004)
Practice
Guideline for the
Treatment of
Patients with Acute
Stress Disorder and
Posttraumatic Stress
Disorder. Arlington,
VA: American
Psychiatric
Association Practice
Guidelines
EMDR given the same
status as CBT as an
effective treatment
of ameliorating
symptoms of both
acute and chronic
PTSD.
- Bleich, A.,
Kotler, M., Kutz,
E., & Shalev, A.
(2002)
A position paper of
the (Israeli)
National Council for
Mental Health:
Guidelines for the
assessment and
professional
intervention with
terror victims in
the hospital and in
the community.
EMDR is one of only
three methods
recommended for
treatment of terror
victims.
- Chambless,
D.L. et al. (1998)
Update of
empirically
validated therapies,
II. The Clinical
Psychologist, 51,
3-16.
According to a
taskforce of the
Clinical Division of
the American
Psychological
Association, the
only methods
empirically
supported for the
treatment of any
post-traumatic
stress disorder
population were EMDR,
exposure therapy,
and stress
inoculation therapy.
- CREST (2003)
The management of
post traumatic
stress disorder in
adults. A
publication of the
Clinical Resource
Efficiency Support
Team of the Northern
Ireland Department
of Health, Social
Services and Public
Safety, Belfast.
Of all the
psychotherapies,
EMDR and CBT were
stated to be the
treatments of choice
for trauma victims.
- Department of
Veterans Affairs &
Department of
Defense (2004)
VA/DoD Clinical
Practice Guideline
for the Management
Of Post-Traumatic
Stress. Washington,
DC.
EMDR was one of four
therapies given the
highest level of
evidence and
recommended for
treatment of PTSD.
- Dutch
National Steering
Committee Guidelines
Mental Health Care
(2003)
Multidisciplinary
Guideline Anxiety
Disorders. Utrecht:
Quality Institute
Heath Care CBO/Trimbos
Intitute.
EMDR and CBT are
both treatments of
choice for PTSD
- Foa, E.B.,
Keane, T.M., &
Friedman, M.J.
(2000)
Effective treatments
for PTSD: Practice
Guidelines of the
International
Society for
Traumatic Stress
Studies New York:
Guilford Press.
In the Practice
Guidelines of the
International
Society for
Traumatic Stress
Studies, EMDR was
listed as an
efficacious
treatment for PTSD.
- Sjöblom,
P.O., Andréewitch, S
. Bejerot, S.,
Mörtberg, E. ,
Brinck, U., Ruck,
C., & Körlin, D.
(2003)
Regional treatment
recommendation for
anxiety disorders.
Stockholm: Medical
Program
Committee/Stockholm
City Council
Of all
psychotherapies CBT
and EMDR are
recommended as
treatments of choice
for PTSD.
- United
Kingdom Department
of Health. (2001)
Treatment choice in
psychological
therapies and
counselling evidence
based clinical
practice guideline.
London, England.
Best evidence of
efficacy was
reported for EMDR,
exposure, and stress
inoculation
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Meta-analyses |
- Davidson, P.R.,
& Parker, K.C.H.
(2001)
Eye movement
desensitization and
reprocessing (EMDR):
A meta-analysis.
Journal of
Consulting and
Clinical Psychology,
69, 305-316.
EMDR is equivalent
to exposure and
other cognitive
behavioral
treatments. It
should be noted that
exposure therapy
uses one to two
hours of daily
homework and EMDR
uses none.
- Maxfield, L.,
& Hyer, L.A. (2002)
The relationship
between efficacy and
methodology in
studies
investigating EMDR
treatment of PTSD.
Journal of Clinical
Psychology, 58,
23-41
A comprehensive
meta-analysis
reported the more
rigorous the study,
the larger the
effect.
- Van Etten,
M., & Taylor, S.
(1998)
Comparative
efficacy of
treatments for
post-traumatic
stress disorder: A
meta-analysis.
Clinical Psychology
and Psychotherapy,
5, 126-144.
This meta-analysis
determined that EMDR
and behavior therapy
were superior to
psychopharmaceuticals.
EMDR was more
efficient than
behavior therapy,
with results
obtained in
one-third the time.
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