What is EMDR? EMDR stands for Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing. It is a therapeutic method to address patients’ trauma, intended to be applied by professionals.
When we are in pain, whether physical or emotional, we can undergo a process in order to properly heal the wound.
Does EMDR work?
EMDR therapy shows that the mind can heal from psychological trauma, just as the body can recover from physical trauma.
Over 30 studies have concluded that EMDR does indeed work, and it is now used for treating combat injuries and trauma by the American Psychiatric Association, World Health Organization and the US Department of Defense.
Studies indicate a complete recovery from PTSD for 84%-100% of patients who have undergone a single trauma, while 77% of patients with multiple trauma that caused PTSD have been able to recover after six EMDR sessions.
This is record time in therapy, since previously several months or years of treatment were necessary in order to alleviate PTSD and its symptoms.
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Phase 1: History-taking session – the therapist assesses the client’s readiness and develops a treatment plan. Emphasis is placed on developing specific skills and behaviors that will assist the client in the future.
Phase 2: Ensuring the client has sufficient tools to handle emotional distress. During this phase, the therapist may teach the client new coping mechanisms and techniques.
EMDR focuses on the past, present and future, with particular attentiveness to past disturbing memories and events. The approach features eight phases of treatment, designed to alleviate stress, and develop skills and attitudes for a positive future.
Phases 3-6: Identifying a target memory/event and processing it by using EMDR therapy procedures.
The client is instructed to focus on the target memory image, negative thought, and body sensations while simultaneously engaging in EMDR processing using sets of bilateral stimulation. These sets may include eye movements, taps, or tones.
After the client’s feedback on their thoughts, feelings, images, memories and sensation, the clinician chooses the next focus of attention.
Phase 7: Closure: throughout the week, the client will keep a log documenting any treatment-related thoughts that may arise. Its main purpose is to remind the client of the self-calming activities they mastered during phase 2.
Phase 8: Examining the progress, and ensuring implementation of the self-help and reaction techniques.
ISP® stands for Immediate Stabilization Procedure. The method is an EMDR-derived stabilization procedure for level 1 psychological first aid.
Emergency response procedure (ERP), a crisis stabilization process taught to EMDR trained therapists, was the predecessor to ISP®. The Emergency Response Procedure (ERP) was developed in Israel during terrorist attacks and wartime to modify the standard EMDR protocol.
The evolution of ERP to ISP® was a response to the need for first responders to provide stabilization procedures that could deescalate acute stress reaction (ASR) and reduce the development of post-traumatic stress disorder.