EMDR is an evidence based treatment that can be integrated into your talk therapy sessions. The EMDR approach believes that past experiences are heavily impacting how you feel about yourself as a person in the present. EMDR uses rapid sets of eye movements (or other forms of bilateral stimulation) to help you process disturbing experiences and memories so that they are no longer impacting you like they have been. EMDR focuses on the brain’s ability to constantly learn, taking past experiences and updating them with present information. EMDR therapy is structured and follows a specific protocol with different phases of treatment. Before starting EMDR, the therapist will discuss what treatment will look like and what you can expect. You will have plenty of chances to ask questions about the process before getting started. To learn more about EMDR therapy, you can visit emdria.org or ask your EMDR trained therapist.

Once you start EMDR reprocessing, the therapist will guide you through sets of rapid eye movement (or other forms of bilateral stimulation) during the therapy session. You will be encouraged to just “free associate” and allow the brain to work through the experience. The sets of eye movements will be alternated with brief reports about what you are experiencing. The therapist will be there to guide you, but your brain will be doing all of the work. You don’t necessarily have to share all of the details about your past memories in order for them to be processed with EMDR. You may have emotional moments in session or between sessions due to the memory networks reprocessing and new learning taking place. The EMDR process is rapid and you need to be able to be aware of, and willing to experience, strong feelings and disturbing thoughts that sometimes occur during sessions.

EMDR can accelerate therapy by resolving the impact of your past traumas and allowing you to live more fully in the present. It is not, however, appropriate for everyone. The process is rapid, and any disturbing experiences, if they occur at all, last for a comparatively short period of time. Nevertheless, you need to be aware of, and willing to experience, the strong feelings and disturbing thoughts that sometimes occur during sessions. You will need to be able to shift from states of distress to states of neutrality, with a therapist's help and/or with the support of resourcing tools and skills that your therapist will teach you before you start EMDR. You also must be able to come to therapy consistently while doing EMDR.

EMDR can help with anything that is rooted in the past. You may be able to pinpoint a specific past experience or trauma that has impacted you today or you may need to discuss this in depth with your therapist. Even if you don't have a "big traumatic event", you may benefit from EMDR therapy. Regardless of your diagnosis or present issue, EMDR can help if you are open to processing past memories that may be connected to your present issues. After determining that EMDR is a good next step in your therapy journey, a treatment plan will be developed collaboratively and you will get started with the process.