Melissa is an EMDRIA-trained psychotherapist and has been using EMDR in her clinical practice since 2013. (She also implements other models, including IFS, DBT, SFT, and CBT.)

Since many people ask Melissa about the magic of EMDR, she wrote this non-scientific summary to explain the need for and process of EMDR.

What is EMDR?

EMDR stands for Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing. It is an evidence-based, non-talk psychotherapy used since the early 1990s to help our brains better process difficult memories and information. (Shapiro, 2001)

It is used to treat a wide range of issues, including PTSD, depression, addictions, anxiety, performance issues, and self-sabotaging behaviors like procrastination and low-self esteem.

Upsetting, traumatic events are processed differently by the brain:

When upsetting events occur, our brains process the information differently. This happens because certain chemicals are released to help us survive physically and emotionally, hijacking the brain’s normal processing.

As a result, our brains hyper-focus on certain parts of the event and don’t focus on other parts. We don’t process the upsetting event in the same logical, linear way that other “normal” events are processed.

When we sleep—how memories are processed and stored--our brains recognize that the upsetting memory is different.  It doesn’t quite know how to process the event.

            Normal event memory: 

·      A happened, then B, then C, then D…

            Upsetting, traumatic event memory:

·      J happened, then Z, then F, and then L…

The brain gets confused. It doesn’t know where to file the upsetting memory.

Like a computer that can’t shut down a file, the memory will spin as the brain tries to understand it and figure out how to process it. This brain confusion can manifest as nightmares, intrusive thoughts, and flashbacks.

False narratives and negative beliefs are created.

Using unprocessed information, the brain creates a story about the traumatic event, which results in negative conclusions about ourselves, others, and the world. Here are a few common conclusions:

·      “I’m not safe.”

·       “I’m not good enough”

·       “I have to be perfect.”

·      “I’m unworthy or bad.”

·      “I can’t trust other people.”

·      “Other people will hurt me.”

·      “I’m not important or loveable.”

Because the brain never processed the traumatic memory in the usual way, it gets stuck at the developmental age at which it occurred.

For example, if a traumatic event happened when someone was 5 years old, it stays stuck in the brain of a 5-year-old. The person may become an adult, but when they remember that upsetting event, it is pulled up as their 5-year-old self with all of the developmental issues of a small child. If the trauma was impactful, their emotional life is essentially governed by their 5-year-old self. 

As a result, we don’t believe what we logically know to be true.

As an adult, the person may know logically that they are good enough and aren’t “bad,” but emotionally, they never believe they are never good enough. They think they are worthless even though there is no logical, conscious reason to feel this way.

EMDR stops the spinning and makes our unconscious beliefs more positive

During EMDR, the original upsetting, traumatic event is pulled up in the conscious brain while the eyes are stimulated to move from left to right. The therapist may do this by asking you to follow his/her finger from left to right, or you may hold pulsating tappers in both hands or listen to sounds that ping from your left to right ear. This bilateral movement pulls up the unconscious memories of the event.

During sleep, the eyes move back and forth during the REM cycle. This is how memory is encoded. Francine Shapiro discovered in the early 1990s that this same eye movement can bring up unconscious, unprocessed memory.

During EMDR, your healthy, adult version re-experiences the upsetting event. The original, upsetting parts of the event come to mind, bringing up all of the original emotions. This process can be emotionally painful but is an important part of memory processing. In my experience with over 1000 patients, once the original painful memory is remembered, other memories come to mind which might have been forgotten.

Since the healthy, adult version of you is re-experiencing the memory, you bring a different, adult perspective. This enables you to see the memory from a different angle while safely processing the upsetting elements.

As a result, the memory is processed like other “normal” memories. This stops the brain from “spinning.” (In my experience, nightmares, flashbacks, and intrusive thoughts are the first symptom to improve. )

The other benefit is that the new perspective changes the unconscious, negative belief. Your emotional ‘feeling’ about yourself, others, and the world match your logical belief.  You now believe “I am good enough.” You don’t have to talk yourself into it anymore. 

Not all negative core beliefs are caused by big-T traumas

People often mistakenly believe that unless they experience a large traumatic event—like war, rape, accident, et cetera—there is “no reason or possible explanation” for negative emotions, thoughts, or beliefs.

Small-t traumas, like bullying, verbal abuse, emotional neglect, and even misunderstandings and miscommunications, can create negative beliefs about ourselves and the world.

Life is challenging for everyone; no one gets out unscathed or untouched by suffering. For this reason, EMDR can help everyone clean out their proverbial closet so they can more easily achieve their life goals and become their best version.