What is EMDR Therapy?

EMDR stands for eye movement desensitization and reprocessing. It’s a trauma treatment that uses our brain’s natural processes to control our emotions around trauma.

It’s often done in tandem with other types of trauma therapies in order to resolve the symptoms of trauma and address its core causes.

Read more about the different trauma therapies at Inner Balance Counseling.

EMDR is guided by the therapist with the client in the driver seat. The client will identify a memory and discuss the emotions associated with it. The therapist’s job is to encourage discussion while conducting bilateral stimulation to encourage memory processing.

How Does EMDR Treat Trauma?

EMDR works because bilateral stimulation mimics the way we naturally process memories. 

Essentially, trauma stays with us in painful ways because those memories aren’t processed. They’re not in a place where they’re in our control to recall or move on from.  

Bilateral stimulation mimics what happens physiologically and psychologically during REM sleep—the sleep phase where we “file away” memories. Along with the guidance of the therapist, the client can reframe traumatic memories as less painful.

The 8 Phases of EMDR

Every individual partaking in EMDR therapy will go through these eight phases. The phases of EMDR are:

• Planning treatment: The therapist gathers information about you and assess if EMDR is a good option. If it is, you’ll work together to develop targets and set boundaries.
• Preparation: You’ll learn calming techniques and learn how EMDR works. This step is intended to help you feel more comfortable with the EMDR process.
• Assessment: Before starting the therapy proper, you’ll work with your therapist to get a baseline that evaluates the emotional and cognitive distress associated with the trauma.
• Desensitization and Reprocessing: Now begins the therapy proper. You’ll engage in calming bilateral stimulation while focusing on traumatic memories. You’ll take breaks here and there to evaluate how you’re feeling and find what to focus on next.
• Installation: Once the distress has diminished, installation begins. You’ll now work to install the positive belief you chose to replace the trauma with.
• Body Scan: During this phase, you’ll observe bodily sensations while thinking about the traumatic memory. This will identify any lingering distress.
• Closure and Stabilization: EMDR is a long process. At the end of each session, you’ll work with your counselor to contain the distressing feelings and bring you back to regulation.
• Re-evaluation: This step happens at the beginning of your next session, and it re-evaluates how you’re doing. It’s where you redefine targets and discover if any new or related memories have emerged since your last session.

Each one contributes to the overall effect of the therapy, though not all phases are used in one session. Some are even repeated when necessary.

To learn more about this process, read our full guide on EMDR.

What Kind of Trauma Can EMDR Treat?

Nearly any kind of trauma can be resolved through EMDR. Trauma comes in so many shapes and sizes—for some people, it happened in a single moment, and for others, it happened over years.

EMDR isn’t for everyone, but it is incredibly successful for those who do it. When you first talk to a counselor at Inner Balance, we’ll chat about your goals and your past so that we can find the best trauma treatment for you.

Talk to the Trauma Experts at Inner Balance Counseling

Our priority is giving our clients top-quality trauma treatment. We provide intensive EMDR training for each of our therapists. All of our counselors take 62 hours of EMDR training and 12 hours of dissociation training. This is well above the required 50 hours of trauma training.  

We understand that trauma can be a shadow that seems to cover every aspect of your life, and it’s often at the core of other mental health concerns. The trauma-informed approach at Inner Balance Counseling can help you resolve your trauma so you can see a brighter future.

Reach out today so we can work together for a healthier you. 

Locations

Inner Balance Counseling offers EMDR therapy at our Mesa, AZ & Tempe, AZ locations.

Mesa Office

Tempe Office