NYC EMDR Therapy
What is EMDR?
Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing (EMDR) is an evidenced-based structured therapy where clients are asked to focus on the traumatic memory while simultaneously experiencing bilateral stimulation often with eye movements, with the goal of reducing the vividness, emotion, and trigger that is associated with the memory. Sometimes a traumatic experience can resolve on its own while other times it can be stuck in the brain which creates the feeling of being stuck in the past when one is triggered.
According to the EMDR International Association, EMDR works by allowing communication between the amygdala (the part of the brain that signals stress), the hippocampus (the part that assists with learning), and the prefrontal cortex (the part that controls behavior and emotions) to work together in fully processing through the trauma so the memory no longer has a painful hold. EMDR is different from talk therapy because the client does not have to give full details about their trauma. Studies have shown that it works faster in reducing distress than traditional talk therapy as well.
With EMDR, the therapist’s goal is to desensitize the triggering memory or stimuli without needing the client to recount every detail— this takes less time and can help prevent retraumatization
EMDR can help folks struggling with:
Anxiety, panic attacks, phobias
Intrusive thoughts
Childhood trauma, complex trauma, PTSD, CPTSD
Grief or loss
Violence or physical abuse
Sexual abuse, molestation, assault
Dissociation
Chronic illness or pain
What to expect during an EMDR session?
Many understand EMDR therapy as just the eye movement or bilateral part but there are many steps that need to be done before and after the desensitization can start. Below is what you can expect from EMDR therapy.
The therapist will first work on resourcing and stabilizing tools to prepare you for treatment. This can be in the form of visualization, breathing, or anything that brings forward support. Resourcing is key before any trauma work is done so the client has the tools to come back to regulation if things become too dysregulating during the session.
After stabilization has been taught and practiced, the therapist will ask you what target memories they would like to work with. Some clients come in with a target or many targets while other clients are not sure because of the complexities and frequency of childhood trauma where it is hard to organize. If you land with the latter, the therapist may do some history taking where we are able to organize the trauma or adverse life events into themes and then rank the themes from least to most triggering/impactful on current functioning to choose what to work with.
After choosing the target, the therapist will ask you to first, identify the worst part of the target memory, the negative cognition when thinking of the memory as well as the emotions and physical (somatic) sensations that arise. As you focus on the image, sensation, emotion, and negative cognition the therapist will then begin the bilateral stimulation—this can be done in the form of eye movements or tactile self-taping. This will happen for the entire session as the therapist will continue to check in after a few sets of bilateral stimulation to make sure the process is moving efficiently. Once desensitization happens, the therapist will help you install the positive cognition about yourself to replace the original negative cognition,
At the end of a reprocessing session, the therapist will then lead you through resourcing/stabilization for the last 10-15 minutes of the session ensuring that the client is regulated enough to return to their day. The therapist will also go through after care and how to resource until next session.
