EMDR therapy is becoming more commonplace among mental health practitioners. What originated as a method to treat PTSD has now become one used for a variety of different disorders and conditions.
Research has shown EMDR to be very effective in causing positive changes within the brain. The science behind trauma and the EMDR process align nicely.
What Happens in Your Brain After Trauma
When you experience trauma, changes occur in your brain chemistry. Trauma affects your prefrontal cortex, amygdala, and hippocampus.
Your prefrontal cortex controls decision-making, rational thinking, response planning, and memory. During trauma, your prefrontal cortex may function less effectively, entering into a survival mode. This is why you experience a fight-or-flight or freeze state.
After a trauma, it’s not uncommon to experience survival reflexes, including auto-pilot, dissociation, or immobility. Since the prefrontal cortex is responsible for memory storage, there’s also the possibility of memories not being encoded correctly, gaps in memory, and an added fear response.
Another factor is your amygdala and hippocampus involvement. Both can become overactive, which can cause intense emotional responses and an increased hormone release in the body.
The Need for EMDR
Your ability to be rational becomes overtaken by your emotional state after a trauma. Additionally, you’re more likely to be triggered or become symptomatic after revisiting something from your experience.
Your memories become “stuck” in an unprocessed state and can resurface to make you feel like you’re reliving parts of that traumatic experience. Under normal circumstances, your brain processes memories while you sleep during REM cycles. When they get stuck, your brain doesn’t recover properly, and those memories aren’t processed appropriately.
With EMDR, a therapist will guide you down a structured path to be able to reprocess your memories and reduce any negative thoughts and symptoms you’re experiencing.
How EMDR Works
Bilateral stimulation is used throughout the EMDR process, along with guided eye movements while you are targeting a negative memory. Side-to-side eye movements simulating the type of movement experienced during REM sleep aid in this process.
Research has shown that components of EMDR positively impact those areas of the brain that were impacted by trauma. Your prefrontal cortex regains its control and is able to help process your triggering memories. Concurrently, your amygdala gets the opportunity to slow down and become less overstimulated.
Essentially, your brain cycles through a simulated slow-wave sleep state during the EMDR session.
The Phases of EMDR
Initially, you will start phase one by providing a comprehensive history, including any medical, physical, and mental concerns. Anything from your childhood up to the present day is fair game. This allows your therapist to identify the target point.
You use phase two to prepare for the rest of the process. In order for it to be effective, you need to feel comfortable and safe. Although you’re facing your past trauma, it’s important to be open and vulnerable.
In phase three, your target memory will be activated by means of imagery, cognitive components, and bodily sensations.
Phase four is where the bilateral stimulation occurs. Eye movements, in conjunction with tactile cueing, are used to distract your attention from the negative memory. The goal is to reduce the intensity surrounding the memory that you may feel.
In phase five, negative thoughts are replaced with positive ones. This installation can bring peace and a sense of calm to your mind.
Phases six through eight ensure your memory was reprocessed correctly and no longer elicit a negative, triggering response.
If you’ve experienced past trauma and are noticing difficulty managing your symptoms, EMDR Therapy may be beneficial for you. Contact us today to learn more about this service.