What is EMDR?
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) is a “speciality trauma therapy” that challenges and decreases the accuracy of your negative beliefs, as well as your vividness and emotional responses to traumatic event(s). The main objective is to decrease trauma, anxiety, and depression symptoms that impact your ability to thrive in the present. Often, our traumas force us to relive the past (grief, regret, shame, etc.) or to be prepared for the future (hypervigilance, anxiety, fear of something bad happening, perfectionism, etc.). It is a powerful tool that expedites your progress in therapy - and I love it!
The E-M of EMDR is eye movement. Therefore, the bilateral movement (side to side) of your eyes is essential to this process. No, this isn’t hypnotherapy. You’re in control of this, at least, your brain is. Bilateral eye movements happen naturally when you sleep. It is what allows images (dreams) to form. EMDR does this process while you are awake. We are activating memories (even if you don’t recall or remember much of your life - hi, disassociation)! There are multiple ways we can do this:
Follow a ball from side to side on your screen (as seen below)
Headphones and audial noises you can customize (as heard below)
Follow a therapist’s fingers/pointer, etc.
Vibration buzzers
Tapping (butterfly hug/shoulder tapping) or knee tapping
Ok, now that the science mumbo jumbo is behind us. Let’s talk about HOW it looks in therapy and WHY someone would or wouldn’t be a good candidate for it. I prefer to use a virtual platform for EMDR so that we can customize your preferences, and change them quickly, if needed. People question if EMDR via telehealth is effective, and let me tell you, it is more effective due to the ability to customize AND because the physical strength it takes a therapist to move their fingers back and forth in a straight line with accuracy all day long is….A LOT. Way harder than it sounds, trust me. I may be a strong gym girlie, but my arms are TIRED after one session.
How EMDR looks virtually when working with Stephanie Lindsey, our trauma & sport psych therapist
Before starting EMDR, we create customized coping skills to minimize anxiety and stress responses such as Safe/Calm Place, The Container, Box Breathing, and Five Active Senses. I do this so that if we hit a sore spot in EMDR, you don’t have to stay in those feelings for long. I’m not going to leave you hanging and miserable. That’s why having a strong rapport and trust with your therapist is essential before starting this process (at least when it comes to trauma work).
EMDR isn’t just for people who have experienced trauma, grief, etc. I use EMDR alllllll the time with my athletes and performers. Visualization development, coping skills, positive self talk, confidence building, and anxiety reduction are all things we can accomplish with EMDR to make performance better. It will also increase mental toughness, grit, confidence, and flow on and off the field or job site.
With anything, there can be side effects. I do everything in my power to reduce side effects by doing all the necessary prep work. A majority of my clients never experience a side effect. The one side effect I do see occasionally is having dreams related to EMDR and brief, acute anxiety (which we treat with those coping skills before session ends).
It’s important to note that if you are prone to migraines visual EMDR will not be your friend. It is better to opt for audial and tapping in these circumstances. If you take regular benzodiazepines, EMDR may not be effective at all.
