- Adolescent/Child Counseling
- Individual Counseling
- Marriage/Couple Counseling
- Group Counseling
What is the Goal of the EMDR Method? The EMDR clinical goal is to achieve the most profound and comprehensive treatment effects within the shortest time possible while maintaining a stable client within a stable system.
What is EMDR?
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing is a complex, eight-phase methodology and approach to the treatment of trauma that integrates the salient aspects of most therapeutic modalities. When incorporated into a comprehensive treatment plan, EMDR accelerates the treatment of pathologies based on disturbing life experiences. Successful EMDR treatment is far more than mere desensitization, which enables clients to feel less anxious about traumatic events. EMDR is a complete processing of the target traumata. Treatment outcomes include a more adaptive emotional state, a new cognitive perspective that includes the integration of insights and recognition of life patterns that can guide the client’s future actions, the adoption of useful behaviors, and the enhancement of a generalized sense of self-efficacy.
What Role Do Eye Movements Play?
Eye movements, or other alternating left-right stimulations, such as hand taps or audio tones, are only one component of the EMDR method. Although the eye movements assist in activating disturbing material and its processing, the movements alone are insufficient for the complete resolution of the problem. Research has shown that the additional procedural elements are necessary for complete treatment effects.
How Long is a Typical EMDR Session?
Sessions using EMDR are a standard session length.
What is the Client’s Role?
EMDR appears to unblock the information processing system naturally inherent in clients. EMDR stimulates clients’ natural healing processes, allowing disturbing events to be “digested” so that the lessons they have to offer are learned. The unnecessary and detrimental emotional elements of traumatic events such as fear and shame, are discarded. Individual clients’ healing processes direct the chains of association and form of resolution.
What is the Clinician’s Role?
EMDR clinicians are trained in how to select clients appropriate for the EMDR method. Also, they learn about what to do if processing gets stuck and how to facilitate client response during the extremely rapid processing effects that characterize most EMDR sessions. Clinicians need to be trained in the content area related to individual client problems. EMDR is not a replacement for solid clinical skills.