Psychotherapy Archives

EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing)

EMDR is a form of psychotherapy that helps people heal from trauma or other distressing life experiences and because of that, EMDR therapy has emerged as one of the most evidence-based treatments for Post Traumatic Stress Disorders (PTSD) and other trauma-related symptoms. EMDR was developed in the 1990 by Francine Shapiro. Shapiro believes that most mental health disorders originate from unprocessed disturbing memories or events.

What is an Unprocessed Traumatic Memory?

An unprocessed traumatic memory occurs when an event in the past continues to impact us in the present and/or future, resulting in negative beliefs about ourselves because of the traumatic event.

During traumatic events, our body and mind attempts to protect us from the event by “compartmentalizing” the intense feelings, thoughts, and bodily sensations in one side of the brain. While this self-protection function can be initially helpful, problems arise when we are triggered by events that are similar to the original event thus causing intense emotional distress. This emotional distress can present as “flashbacks”, nightmares, and physical manifestations, avoidance of people, places or events that remind the person of the traumatic event, hyperarousal, “startle responses” and hypervigilance, as well as intrusive thoughts or memories of the event, and irrational thoughts, feelings and behaviors that result in a high level of emotional disruption.

The Goal of EMDR:

The goal of EMDR is to decrease or eliminate the emotional charge or reaction to the trauma so that the patient’s disturbance is significantly reduced. The therapist will safely assist the patient reprocess the memory by revisiting the trauma in a specific way.

How Does EMDR Work?

EMDR attempts to free the patient from thoughts, feelings, and body sensations that are related to their traumatic event. In order to accomplish this, Dr. Shapiro has developed an eight-phase approach for EMDR therapy.

History taking and treatment planning.
Preparation
Assessment
Desensitization
Installation
Body scan
Closure
Reevaluation

Simply put, the EMDR trained therapy will learn about the patient by completing a bio- psychosocial assessment that includes but is not limited to risk factors, medical, social, developmental, and legal issues, past and current symptoms, and diagnoses. At the end of this phase, a treatment plan will be developed.

Once this has been completed, the therapist will explain the EMDR process. The therapist will then prepare the patient for reprocessing by ensuring that the patient has the mental stability and strategies to ensure their emotional regulation while revisiting the traumatic memory. The therapist and patient will then choose a memory to reprocess. During the assessment phase, the therapist assists the patient to find the earliest, most disturbing, or most recent memory that they are struggling with. Themes of the memory will be identified so that the “past, present, future connection” can be established and core negative beliefs about themselves can be identified. The chosen memory will be reprocessed with the goal being to desensitize the patient’s emotional connection to the memory. Once the memory has been desensitized, the therapist will help the patient to replace or “install” a positive belief about themselves, have the patient scan their body for any more physical sensations remaining from the trauma and prepare the patient for closure of the memory.

After successful treatment with EMDR therapy, emotional distress is relieved, negative beliefs are reformulated, positive alternative beliefs are installed, and physiological arousal is reduced.

Francine Shapiro, PhD https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3951033/
Author information Copyright and License information Disclaimer Perm J. 2014 Winter; 18(1): 71–77 doi: 10.7812/TPP/13-098 PMCID: PMC3951033 PMID: 24626074

Maxfield, L.; Journal of EMDR Practice and Research Vol.13, Issue 4, DOI: 10.1891/1933-3196.13.4.239

What is the Difference between Psychotherapy and Counseling?

Deciding between psychotherapy and counseling can be difficult, especially when you need help. Rest assured that both psychotherapists and counselors can be helpful in meeting your therapeutic goals but taking some time to understand the difference between the two disciplines may produce better outcomes. Psychotherapy and Counseling terms have been used interchangeably for some time but there are important differences between psychotherapy and counseling.

PSYCHOTHERAPY	COUNSELING
Long-term solutions for past or recurring problems	Short-term solutions for present problems
Treatment is typically longer in duration	Treatment is typically shorter in duration
Feeling and experience focused	Action and behavior focused
Primary Process (addresses the event)	Secondary Process-(meaning attached to event)
May include talk therapy & testing & other modalities	Typically, is talk therapy

Most trained therapists use a combination of both psychotherapy and counseling techniques with the goal being to “start where the client is.” Based on the client’s goals and treatment needs, the therapist and the client will develop a treatment plan that will likely incorporate all the above techniques.

Counseling:
Means to “advise” and it generally involves the counselor and patients to use critical thinking to solve a problem. Counselors tend to provide advice, planning and guidance and are very active in the process. This process is typically short term and is present oriented with very specific goals.

Psychotherapy:
Generally, focuses on increased insight into chronic physical or emotional pain, where thoughts and feelings from the past and present are analyzed and changed so the person feels emotional relief.

Similarities:
Both counseling and psychotherapy are built on trust. Trust is the building block for all therapeutic interactions and with trust, the person feels emotional, and physically safe to share their story.

If you are unsure about seeing a counselor or a psychotherapist, reach out to these professionals and ask questions. A qualified professional should be able to provide you with their own process, their credentials, how they work with clients, explain the difference between counseling and psychotherapy and most importantly provide you with a sense of connection.