EMDR Therapy
Morningside Recovery offers a therapy called Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing (EMDR), which was originally developed to treat Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), but is now being used to treat many other problems, including generalized anxiety, eating disorders, phobias, and substance abuse. The amount of time it takes to complete treatment depends upon the history of the client, but in general EMDR is quicker than many other therapies. The goal of EMDR therapy is to process completely the experiences that are causing pain, and to relieve the primary symptoms of PTSD: recurrent flashbacks and nightmares; heightened arousal such as sleep disturbances; increased startle response; and physical reactions such as sweating, heart palpitations or panic.
In the first phase of EMDR treatment, a Morningside therapist takes a thorough history of the client and develops a treatment plan. This phase will include a discussion of the specific problem that has brought the client into therapy; behaviors stemming from that problem; and symptoms such as insomnia, irritability or anger. With this information, the therapist develops a treatment plan that defines the specific targets on which to use EMDR. One of the unique features of EMDR is that the client does not have to discuss any disturbing or painful memories in detail with the therapist. Some clients are comfortable giving specifics, while others may share more generally. For example, the therapist might ask, “Can you tell me what happened to make you feel ashamed and angry?” The client might respond: “I was twelve years old. It was something my step-dad did to me.” This is all the information needed to identify and target the event with EMDR.
EMDR is perhaps most effective in treating PTSD. EMDR involves a process of working through memories and images of the traumatic event. While the process is far too complex to describe in detail, a brief summary can prevent misunderstandings. Clients are first asked to picture the traumatic event in their head as vividly as possible. While keeping this image in mind, they are told to supply a statement that summarizes their reaction to the trauma. Clients are then asked to rate their anxiety on a scale, which ranges from 0 to 10, with zero being no anxiety and ten being extreme terror. In addition, they are told to provide a competing positive statement that epitomizes their desired reaction to the image. Clients then rate their degree of belief in this statement on a “validity” scale.
After the imaging stage, clients go through “processing,” which means creating a learning state to allow experiences that are causing problems to be “processed” and stored appropriately in the mind. The useful portions of an experience are stored with appropriate emotions. The inappropriate emotions, beliefs, and body sensations are discarded. The goal of EMDR therapy is to leave clients with healthy behaviors, insight, and feelings.
Studies have demonstrated that there is a physical response to unresolved thoughts and experiences. Research of memory has found that when a client experiences trauma, the mind connects these memories to body systems, much like the “muscle memory” experienced by athletes. With painful memories, the body is triggered to respond with a physical reaction of the original event. EMDR attempts to process these memories and transform them to narrative memory so that physical responses disappear. In other words, an EMDR session is not considered successful until the client can bring up the original target without feeling any physical tension.
Throughout EMDR sessions, the client’s well-being is paramount. At the end of each session the therapist checks with the client to see how he or she is feeling. If the processing of the traumatic target was not completed, the therapist assists the client in using a variety of self-calming techniques in order to regain a sense of serenity. The goal is for the client to feel comfortable during treatment. At Morningside, clients receive support between sessions, and often journal or record their experiences.
EMDR is one of the many tools Morningside Recovery uses to free clients not only from the symptoms of disorders or addictions, but also the painful root causes. Through therapy and the caring climate of Morningside, clients develop self-esteem and establish a sense of purpose as they truly begin to experience their potential in work, at school, and with family.
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