What is EMDR?

What does EMDR stand for?

• Eye-Movement and Desensitization Reprocessing

Let’s break down each part of it.

Eye Movement:

EMDR first began by using bilateral eye movements (picture moving your eyes back and forth from right to left over and over).

Now, there are many more bilateral options that can be used:

• Sound - clients can listen to one beep in one ear, then one beep in another ear back and forth

• Self Tap - clients can tap one area of the body (arms, legs, shoulders) back and forth.

• Buzzers - some therapists provide buzzers and clients hold one in each hand and it alternates vibration from the right hand to the left hand.

Desensitization:

• In EMDR, the therapist and client will work together to pick a negative memory. The client will think of this memory while doing one or more of the bilateral options listed above. During that process, the memory becomes desensitized - it literally becomes ‘less sensitive’ and less distressing.

Reprocessing:

• After awhile, the memory actually is able to be processed in a different way. Clients may have different (neutral or positive) feelings about the negative memory, and may develop a more positive belief about themselves or others. The person no longer feels the memory is ‘stuck’ and it no longer causes distress.

For more information about EMDR, feel free to visit the EMDRIA website.