Origins of EMDR
In 1987 a psychologist named Francine Shapiro was taking a walk when she discovered that disturbing thoughts disappeared when she spontaneously started moving her eyes back and forth from left to right. Intrigued, she experimented again with another disturbing thought and found that her anxiety about it was similarly diminished. In the following days and months Shapiro tried the technique with friends, acquaintances, and willing students and found that the method continued to produce the same anxiety-relieving effect on others. Over the years Shapiro has continued to use and refine her approach and it is now known today as “Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing” Therapy, or EMDR.
Since it’s somewhat serendipitous begininnings EMDR has become one of the most researched forms of therapy and is recognized as one of the most helpful interventions in treating trauma and PTSD. In addition, EMDR has been used to successfully treat: phobias, panic disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, depression, attachment disorder, conduct problems and self-esteem, grief and mourning, body dysmorphic disorder, sexual dysfunction, psychotic disorders, chronic pain, migraine headaches, phantom limb pain, and other medically unexplained symptoms.
EMDR in a Nutshell — The Past is Present
EMDR assumes the way we react to things in the present is affected by our memories of experiences in the past. Indeed, it is our memory networks and how information is stored in our mind and body that determine much of our mental and emotional health.
Take, for example, someone who has experienced the death of a loved one. For some the experience is processed and stored in the memory network in an adaptive, healthy way. Despite their sadness the person isn’t necessarily overwhelmed by their grief. They are able to function day-to-day and when they think of their loved one’s passing they aren’t beset by disturbing images or troubling sensations in their body. They don’t have negative feelings about themselves and may even find meaning or purpose in the memory. In short, when this person remembers the passing of their loved one their grief does not overwhelm them or negatively affect their present life.
However, sometimes a memory or experience can get “stuck” and never fully processes adaptively. Consider another person who, when they think of their loved one’s passing, may have persistent negative feeling about themself (like, “It was my fault.” or “I am to blame.”) In addition to distorted perceptions they may have persistent negative images surface about the event or they may feel negatively impacted by anything that reminds them (consciously or unconsciously!) of their loved ones passing. We would say that this person’s memory or experience is maladaptively processed. When this person experiences a trigger in the present they are not just experiencing the present moment but the flood of unprocessed material in the past that the trigger has brought up. In that moment the past is present.
These “stuck” experiences could be just about anything. An experience with a bully, a painful breakup, an assault—you name it. Often, we find that negative experiences from our childhood having to do with our relationship to our caregivers have set the stage for negative patterns in the present.
Therefore, the goal of EMDR is to identify the maladaptively processed memories that are causing distress in the present and give the brain and body an opportunity to reprocess these experiences in healthy ways. Once the offending memories in the past are processed sufficiently symptoms in the present will naturally abate.
To learn more about an EMDR perspective on pyschopathology from the creator of EMDR read “Roses are Red”
Thought Homework:
If you feel EMDR therapy may be helpful to you I invite you to consider the following questions and perhaps jot down a couple thoughts in preparation for the next time we meet:
What is the issue you would like to work on?
What recent experiences have you had that represents this issue?
Are there other situations, people or places in your life now that bring up these negative reactions?
How would you like to be able to handle these situations in the future?
Additional Resources
A 5 minute explanation of EMDR produced by the Amen Clinic: https://youtu.be/YgO43kJKG18
The EMDR International Association website explains EMDR beautifully, provides a 9 minute video, as well as links to frequently asked questions about EMDR
I highly recommend those who are participating in EMDR therapy purchase the following book as a companion to their treatment:
Getting Past Your Past: Take Control of Your Life with Self-Help Techniques from EMDR Therapy by Francine Shapiro (also available as an audiobook!)
Lastly, if you would like to watch a video I created to help people explore how sometimes we have "hidden trauma" as in the case of complex trauma you can click below:
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