Eye Movement Desensitization & Reprocessing

What is EMDR?

In 1987 Francine Shapiro, while walking through a park, was thinking about disturbing memories.  As she walked she observed that her eyes were moving from side to side.  After her walk she noticed that the memories were less disturbing than before.  She shared this with her friends, they tried it and reported that afterwards their disturbing memories were less disturbing too…and Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) was born.

Over the past 30 years, Dr. Shapiro and her colleagues have refined the techniques, protocols, and procedures into a therapeutic approach.  EMDR has been tested in rigorously designed and controlled research studies and has been found to be as effective as other therapies in its class.  EMDR is approved by the American Psychiatric Association and is one of three “evidenced-based” treatments approved by the Veterans’ Administration for the treatment of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).

How does EMDR work?

EMDR is a counseling approach designed to decrease the intensity of disturbing and/or painful memories and their current intrusive effects (triggers) in everyday life.  The essence of EMDR is that a client, in a calm environment and in the presence of a trusted person, holds a troubling memory in conscious awareness while some form of bilateral (back and forth) stimulation of the nervous system is administered.  The bilateral stimulation may be back and forth eye movements, alternating tapping on each hand,  alternating beeps in each ear, or some combination of these movements and sounds.  For the client, calmly considering an unpleasant memory, while experiencing the back and forth movement/tapping/beeping, often results in the disturbing memory becoming less disturbing.  The client’s thinking about the memory frequently becomes more adaptive and more reality-based.  As people engage with EMDR, their minds seem to reprocess their painful memories by connecting the memories to current knowledge, beliefs, and perspectives.  Researchers hypothesize that the mind is linking the painful memories to other less painful memories and to more adaptive understandings.  Thus the memory itself becomes less distressing.  Researchers continue to seek to identify the exact mechanism of how EMDR works but study after study shows lasting impact of the beneficial results for an overwhelming number of recipients. 

​I was trained in EMDR in 2015 and EMDR has since become an important tool for helping clients with persistent concerns that do not respond to more direct cognitive and behavioral interventions.  I administer EMDR in a prayerful, thoughtful, humble, and sensitive manner with clients who desire it.

For more information on EMDR click here.