HHC Centre EMDR Therapy Agoraphobia Digestive Disorders | Page 3

EMDR THERAPY
• EMDR stands for eye movement desensitization and reprocessing. It is a form of psychotherapy that
relies on eye movements to help reprogram the brain. Francine Shapiro developed EMDR therapy in
1989. She noticed that while she recalled a stressful thought, her eyes moved involuntarily. When she
brought the movements under voluntary control, she became less anxious.
• Stressful events are known to adversely affect many people. EMDR is based on the theory that
persistent, prolonged reactions to trauma are due to partially or entirely unprocessed memories.
EMDR is believed to be related to the Rapid Eye Movement (REM) that occurs during deep sleep.
Through a similar process to REM sleep, EMDR is thought to release and assist in the processing of
traumatic memories. It is believed to help alleviate trauma symptoms and is often used to treat Post
Traumatic Stress Disorder. EMDR has also been used to treat panic attacks, phobias, stress, and
addiction.
• People often believe emotional trauma takes a long time to resolve. EMDR therapists believe the
mind can heal from trauma much as the body recovers from injury. When the body is injured it will
recover; if something remains in the wound, or re-i jury o urs, the ou d o ’t heal. Heali g a
happen, once the blockage is removed from the wound. Practitioners believe EMDR is the instrument
that can clear the blockage from a mental injury.
• EMDR patients are first asked to recall a traumatic event or image. Next, the practitioner performs
different kinds of sensory input, such as hand tapping or side-to-side eye movements during part of
the session. The EMDR therapist pinpoints a memory to serve as a starting point and continues
performing therapy through eye movements and other sensory strategies.