Benefits of Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing
In the book The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma, Bessel Van Der Kolk discussed the therapeutic approach of Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR). EMDR is a form of psychotherapy that was originally created to “alleviate the distress associated with traumatic memories” (emdr.org). EMDR consist of an eight-phase treatment in which eye movements or other bilateral stimulation are used during one part of the eight sessions. The eight-phase consist of:
Phase 1: The first phase is a history-taking session(s). The therapist assesses the client’s readiness and develops a treatment plan. Client and therapist identify possible targets for EMDR processing. These include distressing memories and current situations that cause emotional distress. Other targets may include related incidents in the past. Emphasis is placed on the development of specific skills and behaviors that will be needed by the client in future situations.
Initial EMDR processing may be directed to childhood events rather than to adult-onset stressors or the identified critical incident if the client had a problematic childhood. Clients generally gain insight on their situations, the emotional distress resolves and they start to change their behaviors. The length of treatment depends upon the number of traumas and the age of PTSD onset. Generally, those with single event adult onset trauma can be successfully treated in under 5 hours. Multiple trauma victims may require a longer treatment time.
Phase 2: During the second phase of treatment, the therapist ensures that the client has several different ways of handling emotional distress. The therapist may teach the client a variety of imagery and stress reduction techniques the client can use during and between sessions. A goal of EMDR therapy is to produce rapid and effective change while the client maintains equilibrium during and between sessions.
Phases 3-6: In phases three to six, a target is identified and processed using EMDR therapy procedures. These involve the client identifying three things:
- The vivid visual image related to the memory
- A negative belief about self
- Related emotions and body sensations.
In addition, the client identifies a positive belief. The therapist helps the client rate the positive belief as well as the intensity of the negative emotions. After this, the client is instructed to focus on the image, negative thought, and body sensations while simultaneously engaging in EMDR processing using sets of bilateral stimulation. These sets may include eye movements, taps, or tones. The type and length of these sets are different for each client. At this point, the EMDR client is instructed to just notice whatever spontaneously happens.
After each set of stimulation, the clinician instructs the client to let his/her mind go blank and to notice whatever thought, feeling, image, memory, or sensation comes to mind. Depending upon the client’s report, the clinician will choose the next focus of attention. These repeated sets with directed focused attention occur numerous times throughout the session. If the client becomes distressed or has difficulty in progressing, the therapist follows established procedures to help the client get back on track.
When the client reports no distress related to the targeted memory, (s)he is asked to think of the preferred positive belief that was identified at the beginning of the session. At this time, the client may adjust the positive belief if necessary and then focus on it during the next set of distressing events.
Phase 7: In phase seven, closure, the therapist asks the client to keep a log during the week. The log should document any related material that may arise. It serves to remind the client of the self-calming activities that were mastered in phase two.
Phase 8: The next session begins with phase eight. Phase eight consists of examining the progress made thus far. The EMDR treatment processes all related historical events, current incidents that elicit distress, and future events that will require different responses
(emdr.org)
Van Der Kolk conducted a study and he established that EMDR was determined that trauma-specific therapy for PTSD like EMDR might be more effective than medication and if patients take medications like Prozac or any other related drugs like Celexa, Paxil, and Zoloft, “their PTSD symptoms often improve, but only as long as they keep taking them” (Van Der Kolk, 2014, p. 256). According to the study, the group who took the Prozac did slightly better than the group who took the placebo, but not that much better. But, the group who partook in the EMDR treatment did way better than the other two groups. “After eight EMDR sessions, one in four were completely cured (their PTSD scores had dropped to negligible levels), compared with one in ten of the Prozac group” (Van Der Kolk, 2014, p. 256).
In the study, it was concluded that EMDR “produced a greater reduction in depression scores than taking the antidepressant” (Van Der Kolk, 2014, p. 256). The good thing about EMDR is that it spends little time revisiting the original trauma. The study showed that drugs mute the images and sensation of terror but they will always remain in the mind and body (Van Der Kolk, 2014, p. 256) but a person who receives EMDR “no longer experiences the district imprints of the trauma” (Van Der Kolk, 2014, p. 256). EMDR is proven to actually be highly effective and empirically supported.
The statistics on EMDR treatment has shown that the individual receiving the treatment has overcome past trauma. EMDR Institute, Inc. stated that “84%-90% of single-trauma victims no longer have post-traumatic stress disorder after only three 90-minute sessions” (emdr.org).84%-90% is a great outcome for any form of psychotherapy. A study conducted by HMO Kaiser Permanente found that “100% of the single-trauma victims and 77% of multiple trauma victims no longer were diagnosed with PTSD after only six 50-minute sessions. In another study, 77% of combat veterans were free of PTSD in 12 sessions” (emdr.org). A lot of research has been conducted on EMDR therapy and it is now recognized by the American Psychiatric Association, the World Health Organization and the Department of Defense as an effective for of treatment for trauma.
EMDR has had a lot of positive results and it is an effective treatment. EMDR will be the treatment I will strongly suggest anyone who want to overcome any kind of trauma. Knowing that 100% of the single-trauma victims no longer were diagnosed with PTSD is something I was very shocked and fascinated about. It is amazing to see that there are ways to overcome trauma without having to be medicated. Medication as Van Der Kolk stated “mute the images and sensation of terror but they will always remain in the mind and body” (Van Der Kolk, 2014, p. 256), while EMDR can 100% illuminate the trauma. EMDR is an amazing treatment that should be suggested to all patients first before medication.
References
What is EMDR? (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.emdr.com/what-is-emdr/
Van der Kolk, M.D., B. A. (2014). The Body Keeps the Score: The Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma. New York, New York: Penguin Books.