Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) therapy is a unique form of mental health treatment. During this treatment, patients move their eyes in a certain way while processing traumatic memories. This process is done in hopes of helping patients heal from distressing life experiences or other trauma. Learn more about EMDR therapy, and don’t hesitate to contact us with any questions or to schedule an appointment.
What Does EMDR Involve?
There are eight phases of this therapy treatment over multiple sessions — one session often uses parts of multiple phases. If you’re dealing with a single event or memory, treatment takes between three and six sessions, with more complex trauma taking eight to 12 sessions. Each session is about an hour and 90 minutes.
So, what are the eight phases ?
- Patient history — Getting information about the patient and their past. This helps determine if this therapy is the best option.
- Preparation
- Assessment — This is when the healthcare provider helps identify themes and specific memories to work on during reprocessing.
- Desensitization and reprocess — This is when the memory is activated by helping to identify one of the more specific negative thoughts, feelings, images, or body sensations.
- Installation — The main focus is on the positive belief to build in as you’re processing a memory.
- Body scan — The provider will now focus on the body and any symptoms when thinking about a negative experience or memory.
- Closer and stabilization — The provider will now discuss what to expect between sessions and how to stabilize yourself during negative feelings or thoughts between sessions.
- Reevaluation and continuing care — The final phase is going over the process and how you’re doing now. Reevaluation helps determine if additional sessions are needed.
How effective is eye movement desensitization and reprocessing? 100% of single-trauma victims and 77% of multiple trauma victims were no longer diagnosed with PTSD after six 50-minute sessions of EMDR, according to a UK study on PTSD.
What to know more about this type of therapy and how it can treat your own symptoms of PTSD? Call Trauma Healing Northwest today! We offer EMDR, exposure therapy, and neurofeedback therapy. Don’t hesitate to ask us any questions about our services and the benefits our specialized therapies provided.