In recent years, mental health has gained increasing attention and importance. Many people are prioritizing their psychological well-being now more than ever before.
As such, many therapeutic approaches have been developed to help people address mental health challenges and work toward healing.
One increasingly popular therapeutic modality is Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing, or EMDR therapy.
This treatment approach is used for addressing trauma and other mental health challenges, usually ones that specifically contain a trauma-related component.
Cassandra at Bee Kind Counselling could support you if you are looking into EMDR Therapy.
Use this blog as a brief guide to understanding what EMDR therapy is, how it works, and some common coping strategies that accompany this approach.
What is EMDR Therapy?
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) therapy is a form of psychotherapy and mental health treatment designed to help individuals process and heal from traumatic experiences.
Developed by Dr. Francine Shapiro in the late 1980s, EMDR is unlike traditional forms of talk therapy.
Instead of using talking, EMDR involves guiding clients through guided eye movements or bilateral stimulation. You do this as you are processing a traumatic experience that you went through.
The main goal of EMDR therapy is to change how this traumatic event is stored within the brain so that you feel less distressed and the vividness of the trauma is reduced.
Why is EMDR Therapy Used?
EMDR therapy is often used when clients find limited success with traditional talk therapies that require detailed discussions of distressing memories.
Instead of going into the narratives of the trauma that you went through, EMDR focuses on altering the emotional and cognitive responses associated with these memories using eye movements.
This allows clients to leverage their brain's natural capacity for healing. By reprocessing these memories, clients can regain emotional balance and reduce the impact of past experiences on their present lives.
What Can EMDR Be Used to Treat?
Although EMDR is most recognized for its efficacy in treating post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), it can also benefit individuals facing a range of mental health challenges, including:
Dissociative disorders
Acute stress reactions
Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)
Eating disorders
Personality disorders, such as borderline personality disorder and avoidant personality disorder
Core Elements of EMDR Therapy
EMDR therapy is built upon several core concepts. It integrates key elements of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) with the unique bilateral stimulation technique.
Here’s a closer look at these core elements:
Adaptive Information Processing (AIP)
The AIP model explains how our brains store memories, highlighting that traumatic memories can become fragmented and poorly processed. EMDR aims to reframe these negative memories and foster healing.
Desensitization and Reprocessing
During this phase, your healthcare provider activates your memory by helping you identify one or more specific negative images, thoughts, feelings, or body sensations associated with a traumatic event. The goal is to bring these fragmented memories to the forefront of your awareness. Throughout the reprocessing, you’ll observe how you feel.
Installation
As you are processing this negative experience, your healthcare provider will work with you to integrate a positive belief that you want to experience as you process this negative experience. This could include positive beliefs that you wish to feel about yourself going forward. One example would be, “You are doing great.”
Body Scan
This stage involves a focus on how you personally feel in your body. Your healthcare provider will help you recognize and focus on this, including the symptoms that arise when you think of these negative experiences. Over time, negative bodily symptoms should decrease. Once these symptoms are almost gone, the reprocessing is complete.
Intersectionality and Trauma
Members of LGBTQ+, BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color), and other marginalized communities often face unique forms of trauma as a result of systemic oppression, discrimination, and marginalization.
This can include experiences such as:
Discrimination: Stigma and discrimination based on sexual orientation, gender identity, or race. This can lead to feelings of isolation, anxiety, and depression.
Community Violence: Individuals within these communities may experience violence or threats because of their identities, which can have an impact on the mental health of the community.
Family Rejection: Many LGBTQ+ individuals face rejection from family and friends upon coming out. This can lead to emotional distress and feelings of worthlessness.
Racial Trauma: BIPOC individuals encounter microaggressions, systemic racism, and historical trauma. This can contribute to chronic stress and emotional pain.
Using an Intersectionality Approach to EMDR Therapy
Intersectionality is a framework that acknowledges how various aspects of your identity, such as race, gender, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, and ability, intersect to create unique experiences of discrimination, privilege, and trauma.
When EMDR therapy incorporates an intersectional perspective, it recognizes that individuals do not experience trauma in isolation. Trauma occurs through a complex interplay of their identities and societal structures.
Supporting Diverse Identities in EMDR Therapy
EMDR therapy can support individuals from marginalized communities by providing a safe and affirming environment to process trauma. Here’s how EMDR can be tailored to meet their needs:
Culturally Sensitive Approaches: Therapists trained in EMDR can incorporate culturally sensitive practices that acknowledge the historical and societal contexts affecting clients. This can improve trust and comfort during sessions.
Intersectional Trauma Processing: EMDR therapy can help clients process trauma that arises from multiple intersecting identities. Therapists can assist clients in reframing negative beliefs and emotions linked to identity-related trauma.
Empowerment through Identity Validation: EMDR supports the integration of positive beliefs related to one's identity. Therapists can guide clients in fostering an empowered sense of self.
Community and Support Systems: EMDR therapists can help clients explore existing support systems and identify how they can leverage these connections in their healing process.
Affirmative Practices: Therapists can utilize affirmative practices that validate an individual's identities. This ensures that the therapeutic environment is safe and accepting. This affirmation aids in reducing anxiety and distress associated with past trauma.
What Are Some EMDR Coping Strategies?
As you engage in trauma therapy, some intense emotions may come about. Coping strategies complement EMDR therapy by helping you to effectively manage your emotions and reactions to distressing memories.
Here are a few strategies you could use:
Grounding Techniques: Grounding exercises can help you to stay present. If you have a negative thought, you will allow yourself to become aware of it, but you will not let it consume you. You could think of these thoughts as floating by on a leaf in a river. Techniques such as the 5-4-3-2-1 method (identifying five things you can see, four things you can touch, three things you can hear, two things you can smell, and one thing you can taste) can be beneficial. This technique reduces the intensity of negative emotions or flashbacks.
Journaling: Keeping a journal can aid in processing emotions and thoughts following EMDR sessions. Writing about experiences after therapy can foster insight and self-reflection.
Self-Care Practices: Engaging in self-care routines, such as meditation, exercise, and healthy eating, can create a sense of stability during difficult times.
Various Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) techniques may also be of support throughout your journey with EMDR therapy.
Book a Free Consultation with Bee Kind Counselling
Do you resonate with this blog and feel that EMDR therapy may be what you need?
If you're ready to take the next step and explore how EMDR therapy could fit into your healing process, consider booking a free consultation with Bee Kind Counselling.
Contact Bee Kind Counselling at admin@beekindcounselling.com, call 519-757-7842 ext. 1, or visit the website below to schedule your appointment today.
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