EMDR

Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing

Developed in the United States in 1988, EMDR has quickly come to be validated on an international level as a highly effective and efficient therapy for the permanent elimination of the symptoms of stress and trauma. First used with victims of PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) with symptoms like flashbacks, phobias and panic attacks, EMDR has come to be relevant to the whole continuum of these and other difficulties (like anxiety, depression, addictions, panic attacks, grief and loss, over-reactive anger, intrusive thoughts, irritability, worrying, disturbed sleep, and so on) that we refer to when we say we are "stressed out".

EMDR is regulated by the EMDR International Association (EMDRIA), which oversees the training, certification and consultation of EMDR therapists throughout the world. Developed by American psychologist, Francine Shapiro, EMDR is a therapy in which you think about something that is upsetting to you--like a traumatic memory-- and you follow the therapist's hand waving back and forth in front of your eyes. (Actually, you don't need to use eye movements for EMDR-the same effects can be achieved working with a headset and alternating auditory tones for example.) This 'back and forth' or bilateral sensory stimulation reactivates the information processing system of the brain. The idea here is that trauma, or difficult issues, sometimes get stuck in the information processing system of the brain, along with their emotional or even physical content.

When bad things happen, they happen first to the body, then the emotions kick in, and then the brain starts to reprocess them-you 'sleep on it', you think about the bad experience, and over some time you reach the place where you can still remember what happened, but you no longer feel upset about it. You can probably bring to mind some negative experiences in your life which you still remember clearly, but you feel neutral about. You have peace with those memories. This is an example of the brain working the way it should. Sometimes, however, this reprocessing gets stuck, and you don't have peace. This is where EMDR comes in-it desensitizes and reprocesses negative memories and issues. EMDR is an excellent way of releasing the pain from the past, to free up your resources for the present and future.

One of the most important tenets of EMDR is the idea that, as human beings we are adaptable; that is, we move naturally towards healing. To demonstrate this idea, Shapiro offers the example of a wound, which starts naturally to heal. The human spirit is the same-when it is wounded, it naturally orients towards healing. Sometimes, however, this process gets held up or stuck, and healing is blocked and this is where EMDR can help.

So, what is happening when you are doing this therapy? The scientific explanation suggests that EMDR may be a conscious, accelerated version of what your brain is doing when you are in REM sleep, or the dreaming stage of sleep. Many decades ago, researchers noticed that when we dream, our eyes move back and forth rapidly, naming this phase of sleep the "Rapid Eye Movement" or REM stage of sleep. And what are you doing when you're dreaming? You are reprocessing your experiences. So, the connection between this 'back and forth' activity and reprocessing seems less odd, when you think of it in connection with REM sleep.

There are a number of controlled studies that demonstrate the effectiveness of EMDR in the treatment of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. For more information on the latest research on EMDR, you can consult the EMDR International Association website at www.emdria.org.

 Benefits of EMDR: