EMDR | IFGCounselling

Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR)

Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) therapy (Shapiro, 2001) was initially developed in 1987 for the treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and is guided by the Adaptive Information Processing model (Shapiro, 2007). EMDR is an individual therapy typically delivered one to two times per week for a total of 6-12 sessions, though some people benefit from fewer sessions. Sessions can be conducted on consecutive days.

A structured therapy that encourages the patient to briefly focus on the trauma memory while simultaneously experiencing bilateral stimulation (typically eye movements), which is associated with a reduction in the vividness and emotion associated with the trauma memories.

EMDR therapy uses a structured eight-phase approach that includes:

Phase 1: History-taking
Phase 2: Preparing the client
Phase 3: Assessing the target memory
Phases 4-7: Processing the memory to adaptive resolution
Phase 8: Evaluating treatment results

Processing of a specific memory is generally completed within one to three sessions. EMDR therapy differs from other trauma-focused treatments in that it does not include extended exposure to the distressing memory, detailed descriptions of the trauma, challenging of dysfunctional beliefs, or homework assignments.

Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR)

A structured therapy that encourages the patient to briefly focus on the trauma memory while simultaneously experiencing bilateral stimulation (typically eye movements), which is associated with a reduction in the vividness and emotion associated with the trauma memories.

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