WHO DEVELOPED EMDR?
Developed by Francine Shapiro in 1987.
WHAT IS EMDR?
EMDR is an eight-phased, scientifically validated, and integrative psychotherapy approach based on the theory that much of psychopathology is due to traumatic experience or disturbing life events. These result in the impairment of the client’s innate ability to process and to integrate the experience or experiences within the central nervous system. The core of EMDR treatment involves activating components of the traumatic memory or disturbing life event and pairing those components with alternating bilateral or dual attention stimulation. This process appears to facilitate the resumption of normal information processing and integration. This treatment approach can result in the alleviation of presenting symptoms, diminution of distress from the memory, improved view of the self, relief from bodily disturbance, and resolution of present and future anticipated triggers.
WHY USE EMDR?
In the broadest sense, EMDR is intended to alleviate human suffering and assist individuals and society to fulfill their potential for development while minimizing risks of harm in its application. For the client, the aim of EMDR treatment is to achieve the most profound and comprehensive treatment effects in the shortest period of time, while maintaining client stability within a balanced family and social system. The purpose of EMDR is to help free the client from the past into a healthy and productive present.
HOW IT WORKS
EMDR uses specific psychotherapeutic procedures to:
1) Access existing information
2) Introduce new information
3) Facilitate information processing
4) Inhibit accessing of inappropriate information unique to EMDR is the view that incomplete processing and incomplete integration of memories of trauma and/or disturbing life experience are a primary basis of psychopathology (abnormal mental functioning).
Specific procedural steps are used to access and process information and incorporate alternating bilateral sensory stimulation (eye movements, tapping, light bars, etc.). These treatment procedures and protocols are intended to create states of dual attention to facilitate information processing. EMDR utilizes an 8-phase approach to treatment that ensures sufficient client stabilization before, during, and after the processing of distressing and traumatic memories and associated stimuli (“triggers”). The intent is to facilitate the client’s innate ability to heal. Therefore, therapist intervention is kept to the minimum necessary to the continuity of information processing.
