EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) Therapy is an evidence-based therapy that allows you to address adverse life experiences that contribute to difficulties in everyday living.

History and Theoretical Model

EMDR was developed by Dr Francine Shapiro, who in 1987 made a chance discovery that under certain conditions, eye movements can reduce the intensity of disturbing thoughts. She went on to develop EMDR, with a corresponding theoretical model to explain its effects called the Adaptive Information Processing model.

Under this model, maladaptive memory networks are understood as the basis for many mental health difficulties. When an experience is processed by the brain, it is generally stored in an adaptive way as a memory, and forms part of a memory network where it is associated with other information stored in the brain. For example, a positive holiday overseas is stored in our memory network with other overseas holidays more broadly. When an experience is perceived as traumatic, it may be stored in the brain such that there has been inadequate processing of the experience. The information associated with the event (images, beliefs, physical sensations, emotions) can be activated when triggered by information in the present that is related to the past experience. Our brain may store information about traumatic experiences in this way in an effort to allow us to respond quickly to threats that it perceives as similar to past ones; however, often the threat is no longer relevant, and the brain can generalise information about the original threat to unrelated situations, which is often unhelpful. For example, an individual who was abused emotionally and physically by a caregiver as a child may have developed the core belief, ‘I am not good enough’. As an adult, conflict in relationships triggers a strong physical reaction (e.g., racing heart, sweating), and they have difficulty asserting themselves. They may remain in unhealthy relationships because they don’t believe they will be loved by anyone else.

During therapy, inadequately stored memories and the associated information (images, beliefs, physical sensations, emotions) are brought into awareness and held in attention whilst also attending to bilateral stimulation (eye movements, tactile taps, or auditory tones). This allows the inadequately stored memory to be reprocessed, where new associations are made between the original experience and other information that is already adequately stored in the brain. The originally traumatic event is adequately processed when it is no longer disturbing in the present; information that is not helpful is discarded (such as the physical response, negative images, and negative self-beliefs). In our previous example, the individual no longer feels disturbance in their body when remembering the abuse suffered, and now believes ‘I am good enough as I am’, whilst also understanding that the abuse suffered was not their fault, but rather a reflection of the caregiver’s experiences. They may require additional assertiveness skills training to assist them in situations of conflict, but they no longer believe that they will not be loved by anyone else.

(EMDR Institute, 2020; EMDR Training Australia & NZ)

What does therapy look like?

EMDR therapy is an integrative eight-phase treatment. Phase 1 consists of history taking and treatment planning, where the present areas of difficulty in your life and associated memories are organised in to themes, in preparation for processing. Of note, you do not have to discuss your past experiences in EMDR Therapy - processing a memory can be done with as little information shared as a title for the memory such as, Mum - age 10. Phase 2 consists of preparation and stabilisation; here, you are informed in detail about what to expect during the reprocessing phases, and taught skills to assist you to manage difficult emotional experiences. During this phase, other types of therapy are often implemented. For example, cognitive-behavioural therapy techniques may be taught to assist you with unhelpful thoughts, and techniques such as breathing, relaxation, and imagery may be employed to assist you to manage difficult emotions and physical sensations. The amount of sessions spent in Phase 2 depends largely on your existing ability to manage challenging psychological experiences, your life experiences, and your ability to regulate your emotions. This is because during reprocessing, difficult memories and associated thoughts, physical sensations, and emotions may arise, where you may need to employ your skills to regulate your experience; also, although at the end of a session I will do my best to have you leave feeling safe and calm, reprocessing can continue beyond the therapy session, and I need to know that you are able to independently manage any difficult experiences that may arise. Reprocessing sessions can be tiring, so self-care is imperative to employ during the upcoming phases. Phases 3-6 involve activating and reprocessing the inadequately stored information, which is followed by Phase 7, consisting of closure. Phase 8 involves re-evaluating the previously inadequately stored information, to ensure complete processing has occurred.

The duration of therapy varies between people, and depends largely on your experiences. Some research has shown that a traumatic memory can be processed within a few sessions; however, we do not jump straight into processing, and therefore the duration of treatment will include the full 8 phases listed above. Some individuals may reach their goals within a short period of time, but most people will require a longer duration of treatment. We will discuss your expectations for therapy within our first session together.

Who is EMDR Therapy appropriate for?

EMDR Therapy was developed as a treatment for traumatic memories, and has been supported as an effective treatment for PTSD (e.g., Mavranezouli et al., 2020). Theoretically then, EMDR Therapy may be beneficial in the treatment of psychological difficulties generally that originate from traumatic memories. Researchers have found support for the use of EMDR Therapy for complex post-traumatic stress disorder (CPTSD; e.g., Karatzias et al., 2019), depression (e.g., Carletto et al., 2021; Dominguez et al., 2021), and even psychosis (e.g., Adams et al., 2020). Support has also been found for the use of EMDR Therapy in the treatment of dissociative disorders, anxiety disorders, pain disorders, and personality disorders; however, findings are preliminary and further research is required (EMDR Training Australia & NZ).

Who is EMDR Therapy not appropriate for?

If you are involved in an active legal situation (e.g., that involves law enforcement reporting or interviews, testimony, victim impact statements, etc.) related to the subject matter that you are wishing to address via EMDR Therapy, then this type of therapy is not appropriate at this point in time. Desensitation and reprocessing of traumatic memories can alter the content of memories (e.g., the visual content may change) and your response to them (e.g., leading to the absence of an emotional or physiological response), which could harm the outcome of legal proceedings. As such, this type of therapy is not employed until all legal and related proceedings are finalised. You will be asked to sign a consent form before commencing EMDR Therapy stating that you are not involved in any active legal situations.

How I can help

I offer EMDR Therapy for the treatment of difficulties of everyday living, which are associated with traumatic memories. During our initial session, we will discuss the most suitable treatment approach for you based on your expectations, goals, and current difficulties. Please complete my new client enquiry form if you would like to engage with my services for this type of therapy.