FAQs about EMDR in Atlanta

Atlanta is a wonderful place to live. But like any place, it has its share of stressors and dangers. This is especially true in the recent past. Atlanta has seen increased crime, inflation, political challenges and the numerous pandemic related losses. Demand for mental health treatment in Atlanta is also up including those seeking EMDR for the traumas associated with the above.

EMDR stands for Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing and it can be incredibly effective in treating trauma. There are many EMDR therapists in Atlanta. I am one of them and I get a lot of questions about EMDR. If you are interested in learning more about it, here are some of questions I most commonly get about EMDR in Atlanta.

FAQs about EMDR in Atlanta

Question #1: What is EMDR?

Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) is a type of therapy that helps people recover from post-traumatic symptoms resulting from a traumatic event (s). EMDR has shown to be effective for various types of traumas (war, sexual assault, natural disasters, accidents, abuse, medical difficulties, sudden losses, as well as childhood abuse and neglect). It can also be help people move past painful experiences that they may not think of as “traumatic.”

EMDR protocols combine elements of talk therapy (like identifying thoughts and feelings related to the trauma) and mindfulness. It also incorporates bilateral stimulation of the brain using eye movements, sounds or tactile stimulation (tapping or using buzzers) to help people process trauma. After successful EMDR treatment, clients report less emotion and distress associated with traumatic memories.

Question #2: How does EMDR work?

The short answer is… no one really knows. We currently have a rudimentary understanding of how any neurobiological processes or therapies work in the brain. The working theory EMDR is based on is known as the Adaptive Information Processing (AIP) Model. The AIP model posits that our brains have the capacity to process and store stimuli and experiences in way that are healthy and adaptive. However, when our brains and nervous systems get overwhelmed by something like a traumatic event, this natural capacity can get interrupted and associated information can be stored maladaptively. When this occurs, something that happened in the past negatively impacts the present and future.

An example of this would be if someone gets bitten by a poisonous snake (and they survive) . Their brain and body adaptively stores information from this experience so that they remember that snakes (especially ones that look like the one that bit them) are to feared and avoided. This response is appropriately adaptive. By contrast, their system would have maladaptively stored this information if they had a full blown panic attack every time they saw a garden hose, or if they refused to ever go to a zoo because there might be a snake there. EMDR could assist this client’s system in further processing the trauma of the snake bite so that they may not have the same outsized response when seeing a garden hose.

Question #3: What is an EMDR session like?

Not every EMDR session looks the same. EMDR therapy has specific protocols followed during Eight Phases of Treatment. Initial sessions will involve the therapist gathering some background and history and preparing you for EMDR processing. Next involves focusing mindfully on the upsetting memories or issues while receiving bilateral stimulation (in the form of eye movements, tapping or using buzzers in each hand, or listening to tones through earphones). You may talk during some of this but usually you are mindfully observing and processing the events and associated thoughts, feelings, and sensations. This phase helps to “desensitize”, or take some of the emotional intensity, out the memories. Following desensitization is the Installation phase. During this phase you will continue to process and integrate some of the insights and “installing” healthier or more positive ways of framing the event(s). This is an abbreviated explanation. For a more thorough one, see the EMDR Research Foundation web site.

Question #4: How long does EMDR take?

It depends. EMDR is usually more rapid than traditional psychotherapies. For single incident traumas, like a car accident or assault, clients can experience results in as few as 3-6 sessions. However, this is uncommon as our systems and experiences are often more complicated. For survivors of childhood abuse or longer term trauma, processing tends to take longer. Depending on the severity of the trauma and/or the level of environmental and other supports the person had (or has), they may need to approach EMDR therapy at a slower pace. Each person is unique and it is important to plan and discuss with your therapist.

Question #5: I have a therapist but they don’t do EMDR, do I have to switch therapists?

No. EMDR can be done as an adjunctive therapy. You can discuss with your primary therapist and the EMDR therapist the best path for you. Some people continue with their primary therapist, possibly getting support between EMDR sessions. Others take a “break” from talk therapy with their primary therapist and focus on doing EMDR therapy and may return to working with their primary therapist after EMDR. Its advisable for the client and both therapists to consult and make sure that everyone is in agreement regarding goals, roles, and plan.

See if EMDR Therapy can help you!

I hope this gave you a little more info about EMDR therapy. If you are interested in learning more about EMDR therapy in Atlanta, click here or call me at (207) 295-7427 for a free 15-minute phone consultation. Click the following links to learn more about me and how I help with trauma recovery and Accidents or Sudden Loss. If you are interested in another trauma therapy in Atlanta called Brainspotting, click here.