First of all, EMDR, what’s that? In the most basic sense, EMDR is a tool, much like a paintbrush or a screwdriver. More importantly, it is how the tool is used and for what purpose. EMDR is a therapeutic tool used for processing trauma. EMDR stands for Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing, quite the mouthful. The technique is used alongside psychotherapy and has shown, through evidence based research, to be an effective and efficient tool for processing trauma.

Yeah, but what is EMDR?

Well, not all EMDR has to involve eye movement, or a person waving their hand in the air. What the eye movement is working to accomplish is what we call “alternating bi-lateral stimulation.” This serves multiple purposes. By providing a stimulation through eye movement, headphones, or vibrating paddles, the person receiving the treatment is kept in the here-and-now as memories are triggered and brought into the present moment. In addition to providing a grounding, present moment centered awareness, the bi-lateral aspect of the stimulation serves to shake the trauma loose, kind of like getting that last bit of ketchup out of the bottle. Researchers have discovered that trauma can get trapped in the body and get stuck, or frozen The alternating bi-lateral stimulation targets these areas and thaws, or softens them, so that they can be released.

That sounds like it might be painful…

The most painful part of the trauma is going through it. Once a person is ready to process the trauma, the hardest part is over. Using a tool like EMDR to complete the processing of an unprocessed memory releases the pain that has been carried since the initial trauma was experienced. With the processing work may come catharsis and can trigger painful memories, but the point of the work is to release the pain and re-program the memory with what it needs to feel complete. EMDR is a multi-phase process that takes time to establish readiness for. The actual process of moving your eyes, listening to sounds, or holding the paddles doesn’t take very long. There is work that has to take place before and after the EMDR session to set up the session and to close the work.

So, how long does it take?

Well, it depends. It depends on the type and kind of trauma that we are going to try and process. You may have heard of “Big T” trauma and “Little t” trauma. You may have also heard of “single incident trauma.” Depending on the severity of the experience, and how many memories are attached to the target memory, it can happen in as few as 5 or 6 sessions. It also depends on what else is going on in your life. Depending on the current life stressors, sometimes a therapy session might focus on a negative experience or a fight with a partner that took place over the last few days. No matter what the situation, we will go at your pace. We will certainly set an intention to do this work as quickly as possible, but without need to create a rush or any additional sense of urgency.

Reach out for more information on EMDR in Grass Valley and Nevada City. Let’s start the conversation today and talk more about how this work could be helpful to you.