EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization & Reprocessing)

EMDR can be used alone, or may be combined with other approaches, such as within Psychotherapy. This is a very successful treatment for traumatic situations.

At the time of a traumatic event, strong emotions interfere with our ability to completely process the experience and one moment becomes “frozen in time.” Recalling the traumatic event may feel as though the person is reliving the event all over again because the images, smells, sounds, and feelings are still there and can be triggered in the present. When activated, these memories cause a negative impact on our daily functioning and interfere with the way we see our world, and how we relate to others.
EMDR  appears to directly affect the brain by bilateral stimulation: the patient is asked to think about what is the worst part of a traumatic memory and to be aware of any feelings, thoughts or body sensations which go with the memory. This memory is then held ‘in mind’ by the patient while the therapist encourages them to move their eyes from side to side for a short time, following the therapist’s finger.

Over time the disturbing memory and associated beliefs, feelings, sensations become worked through until one is able to think about the event without reliving it.

This process has 8 phases which are suitable in any case:

Phase 1: History and treatment planning
Phase 2: Preparation
Phase 3: Assessment

Processing the trauma
Phase  4: Desensitization
Phase  5: Installation
Phase  6: Body scan
Phase  7: Closure
Phase  8: Reevaluation

The number of sessions required to treat children and adolescents varies considerably and depends on the severity of the problem, the age at which it occurred, the number of problems they have, how long the problems have persisted and the child’s attachment patterns and sense of safety in the world.

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  Patricia Silva, MSc

  Psychotherapy for Children and Adolescents