EMDR therapy provides treatment for mental health conditions, specifically by helping you to process traumatic memories in a way that works with the way that your brain naturally processed memories. Traumatic memories essentially cause wounds in your brain, making it so that the brain is unable to heal in a healthy manner. EMDR works with the natural structure of the brain to repair the damage that the trauma has done to the brain, allowing you to access those memories without having to feel as though the event is relived every time it is actively thought about. The therapy functions by guiding you through specific eye movements while being instructed to access those traumatic memories and force your brain to process and store the memories in a healthier manner. Unlike traditional therapy, you will not need to discuss the details of the traumatic event, you will just be guided through the therapy in order to access the memories while naturally allowing your brain to reprocess and change how the memories will be stored and accessed.

The 8 steps of EMDR go as follows:
 
• History Taking – This initial step is where the patient and therapist will first discuss the patients’ mental health history to help the therapist understand what exactly the patient is hoping to get out of the therapies and what course of treatment may be the most effective.
• Preparation – The patient and therapist will meet again, maybe multiple times if necessary, to ensure that all expectations and courses of the treatment are entirely understood by the patient, as well as offers an opportunity for the patient to address any concerns or questions they may have about the process before any treatment has started. For the treatments to be successful, the patient and therapist must build a relationship of trust and comfortability, so this is when one or both of them may decide whether this is the right fit.
• Assessment – This step is where you and your EMDR provider will identify the specific memories that will be addressed throughout the reprocessing, along with the emotions and beliefs that the traumatic event has carried with, and what the patient wishes to feel and belief moving forward.
• Desensitization and Reprocessing – EMDR therapies will commence, where the provider will help you to access the targeted memories to help you identify any feelings, thoughts, beliefs, or new insights that you may be experiencing while these memories are being accessed.
• Installation – Once the targeted memories have been accessed and all negative associations have been acknowledged, the installation phase is where those negative associations will start to be replaced with those which are positive.
• Body Scan – Throughout the treatments, your provider will wish to assess how you feel in your body and which symptoms you may be feeling to see how these symptoms evolve or diminish as the therapy progresses.
• Closure and Stabilization – This step will occur in between treatments to ensure that even though the patient has coping mechanisms and is stabilized whenever they are out in the world. They will likely be asked to take note of any negative events that occur between sessions, as well as ensure that they feel calm and safe walking out of the sessions.
• Reevaluation and Continuing Care – This is the final step of EMDR, where the progress of the patient is discussed with the provider to determine if any additional sessions may be helpful, what course of treatment for continuing care is recommended, and what the patient should expect regarding their trauma and feelings moving forward.

EMDR therapy has been recommended by organizations for mental health all over the world, including the World Health Organization, as well as the American Psychological Association due to its effectiveness in treating patients with trauma-associated mental health conditions, specifically PTSD. It is still a fairly new method of treatment but has a wide variety of studies and positive outcomes with minimal disadvantages proving its efficacy.

While EMDR has been most frequently used to help patients suffering from PTSD, it has shown to be beneficial for those of any age who are able to engage in trusting relationships and confront emotions with one or more, but not limited to, of the following mental health conditions:

• Depression
• Anxiety
• Eating disorders
• Substance use disorders
• Psychosis
• Bipolar disorders
 
If you are looking for EMDR therapy, Body & Mind Consulting provides this therapy through our specialists. We use personalized brain wave synchronization therapy to help rewire the brain back to a more balanced position. This treatment is known to be non-invasive, pain-free, and drug-free; you will begin to see results quickly with this incredible therapy! Call us today to learn more! We serve clients in Murfreesboro, Nolensville, Brentwood, Franklin, Smyrna, Mt Juliet TN, and surrounding areas.