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EMDR
Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing (EMDR) is a widely used treatment method in psychology. EMDR is primarily used for symptoms resulting from trauma or PTSD. What exactly is EMDR and how does this therapy work? You can read more about it in this article.
What is EMDR?
EMDR is a form of therapy used for processing trauma. The acronym stands for Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing. In EMDR treatment, the psychologist helps you reduce the emotional charge associated with a distressing memory. You won’t forget what happened, the emotions you feel about it become less strong. This can help when you have (long-term) symptoms as a result of a trauma.
When is EMDR right for you?
Amongst other things, EMDR is used when you’ve experienced trauma: in other words, a shocking event or disturbing series of events. Trauma can cause quite a few symptoms. For example, you may experience:
- Anxiety and panic attacks
- Flashbacks
- Avoidant behaviors
If you are unable to process your trauma properly yourself, it may help to talk to a psychologist. To treat trauma, cognitive behavioral therapy is used as one of the options in addition to EMDR.
EMDR for PTSD
EMDR is also used as a treatment if you’re suffering from PTSD. People with PTSD experience long-term symptoms of trauma, or they don’t experience any symptoms until weeks, months, or even years after the event. Read here more about treating PTSD.
EMDR is also used in the treatment of PTSD. With PTSD the symptoms you have from the trauma are long-term or they don’t occur until weeks, months or years after the trauma.
How does EMDR treatment look like?
During EMDR treatment, the psychologist asks you a series of questions. You think back to the distressing event that caused a trauma. The therapist gathers information about the event. Then the processing part will begin.
The psychologist asks you to think about the event again. Meanwhile, the psychologist now uses a distracting stimulus. For example, these are the psychologist’s fingers. The psychologist moves the fingers up and down in front of your eyes. You follow this movement with your eyes while thinking about the memory. The distracting stimulus can also be a sound or taps to the knees
What are the effects of EMDR?
As your working memory struggles to process everything that’s happening, your memory of the traumatic event starts to fade. It won’t completely go away, but the emotional charge associated with the memory will diminish. As a result, you’ll find it much easier to think back to particular scenarios without feeling any fear or anxiety. You won’t feel overwhelmed with emotions when someone or something reminds you of the traumatic event. You’ll experience fewer flashbacks and your avoidant behaviors will decrease as a result.
What are the side effects of EMDR?
EMDR is an intensive treatment that requires a lot of work from your brain. This may cause you to experience certain side effects after an EMDR session, including:
- Fatigue;
- Headaches;
- A new range of images and emotions racing through your mind.
Usually, these symptoms won’t last longer than three days.
Learn more about EMDR treatment
Do you have questions about EMDR treatment? Recovery from trauma or PTSD is possible. In many cases, EMDR offers improvement. A psychologist can advise you whether EMDR is appropriate in your situation, or whether maybe other techniques are more appropriate, such as Imaginal Rescripting or Exposure therapy. This way you get the professional help and treatment that suits your needs.
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At iPractice you work with 2 psychologists. You have an online psychologist for direct contact and a consultation room psychologist for sessions at one of iPractice’s locations. This allows you to contact us online at any time with your questions.
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Read here if you have questions about treatment and the intake phase at iPractice. Or if you are unsure about when to see a psychologist.
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In many cases, your health insurance company will reimburse your EMDR treatment. Read more about when and which health insurance companies reimburse our care.
FAQ
What if I don’t know exactly what’s being triggered?
EMDR can still be effective even if you don’t remember every detail of the trauma. We start with a memory or feeling that currently causes tension and work from there. You don’t need to force anything or have all the answers.
Can I decide when we use EMDR?
Yes. We always start by building trust and safety. EMDR is only introduced when both you and your therapist feel it’s appropriate and you’re stable enough. You remain in control throughout the process.
What does EMDR feel like during a session?
You stay fully conscious, but your attention is divided. This changes how the memory is stored in your brain. Many people feel lighter or tired afterward and notice a decrease in tension over time.
Psychologists specialized in EMDR
Get help from a EMDR psychologist
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