What the heck is EMDR and why is my therapist recommending it?!

Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) is a psychotherapy treatment designed to alleviate and help an individual heal from emotional anxiety, distress and trauma caused by life events and unhealthy or negative thinking patterns.  EMDR uses tappers that buzz in each hand and direct your eye movement back and forth while your therapist helps you talk through and reprocess triggers of emotional distress. 

• What specifically is EMDR? How does it work on the brain?

  - The right side of our brain controls the left side of our body, and the left side of our brain controls the right side of our body. There is a spot in our brain where the two sides cross over, or intersect, which is the same area we hold unprocessed emotions, anxieties and traumas. The tappers and eye movements work painlessly and directly on this area of the brain to move this brain activity away from your emotion and fear center, and to other brain areas that process and heal them!
  
  - EMDR changes which parts of the brain are activated by the trigger. The “amygdala” is the brain’s fear response and overactivity can cause emotional distress. EMDR shifts activity away from the amygdala and activates the frontal lobe. The frontal lobe is responsible for higher functioning and problem-solving. This helps the client think logically about the problem instead of being overwhelmed by a fear response.
  
  - EMDR helps match what we feel, to what we know! Often we know something logically, but don’t believe it. EMDR helps match our emotional response to what we logically know is true. EMDR disarms an automatic emotional response and helps the body and emotions believe the logic.
  
  - EMDR works to rewire neural pathways. Certain triggers can activate a fear response. EMDR helps to change this so you do not have an emotional or physical response to your triggers and can think about them in a healthy, rational way.
  
  - EMDR helps individuals heal from psychological trauma similar to how they would heal from a physical trauma. It is similar to getting a splinter. A cut cannot fully heal if the splinter is not removed. EMDR essentially removes blocks in the mind that are preventing the brain from fulling processing and healing.

• What to expect in your EMDR Sessions

  - You will first set up your tappers. In office, you can use your therapist’s tappers. For remote sessions, you will need to purchase your own set (Don’t forget batteries) ☺ Tappers can be purchased here:
  
  - Tappers
  
  - https://neurotekcorp.com/classic-tac-kit/
  
  - Together with your therapist, you will create a list of the emotions, anxieties or traumas you want to heal. These will include “Big T” Traumas as well as “little t” traumas. The therapist will help find the origin point where the fears first emerged and explore thoughts that are connected to them. You will create a goal of how you want to think and feel about these things.
  
  - Your therapist will ask you to rate the distress of each item on the list on a scale from 0-10. 0 represents no negative emotion response to this trigger, 10 represents a high level of physical and emotion distress in response to this trigger. You therapist will also ask you a series of true and false questions which you will rate on a scale of 1-7, where 1 feels false and 7 feels true.
  
  - Using the tappers and eye movements, your therapist will guide you through thinking about the items on this list. You therapist will ask you to think about something specific and then focus on the tappers. You will not be able to hold your focus on the trigger, this is normal! Emotions, sensations, memories and thoughts will come up and quickly pass. This is your brain processing! Trust yourself and the process.
  
  - Your therapist will end session with a relaxation and grounding technique. Since the brain is a muscle, EMDR is like a work out. After session, plan to relax and take it easy for the rest of the day.

• Does EMDR work? Can I schedule it with Amanda Rausch?

  Does EMDR work?

  - YES!!!

  - It is recommend to try at least 12 EMDR sessions to begin to see progress.

  - EMDR is proven to have an 80-95% success rate.
  
  Can I schedule EMDR with Amanda Rausch?

  -Heck yes you can! Email amandarauschmft@gmail.com

  -EMDR sessions are offered both in office and remotely via video chat

• Further studies on EMDR and References

  Studies

  1. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.5127/jep.028212
  
  2. https://connect.springerpub.com/content/sgremdr/3/3/161
  
  3. https://rb.gy/8q1byb

  References

  Lindsey, Lemecia. “EMDR Therapy for the Treatment of Phobias and Anxiety.” Vancouver EMDR Therapy, PLLC, vancouveremdrtherapy.com/emdr-therapy-for-phobias-and-anxiety/.
  
  Shapiro, Francine. “What Is EMDR?: EMDR Institute – EYE MOVEMENT DESENSITIZATION AND REPROCESSING THERAPY.” Emdr Institute Inc, www.emdr.com/what-is-emdr/.