Is EMDR a Memory Reconsolidation Therapy?
EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) is a memory reconsolidation therapy that uses alternate eye movement (EM) or tapping on the backs of hands to activate certain parts of the brain. It can help you cope with traumatic memories by altering how you think about them and your perspective on life.
Treatment helps you identify distressing memories and images that have been causing you anxiety. Furthermore, they aid in recognizing negative thoughts and beliefs which have shaped how you view yourself and your life.
The purpose of EMDR is to help you process memories so you no longer feel stressed, overwhelmed or terrified by them. Furthermore, it can create new internal belief systems that apply across a variety of experiences and situations in life, making it simpler for you to deal with emotional issues and build healthy relationships with yourself and others.
EMDR is an evidence-based and evidence-informed therapy for people who have experienced trauma or PTSD. It uses a structured approach with eight phases that help you focus on healing your distressing memories and emotions.
In this phase, your healthcare provider will take a comprehensive history of your trauma and how it has shaped your life. This data helps create an individualized therapy plan and identify what goals you want to achieve from EMDR sessions as well as any changes you hope to make about yourself in the future.
Your healthcare provider will guide you through this phase to process any negative feelings or beliefs through EMDR therapy. They also encourage you to pay attention to any new insights that come up while processing these memories.
In this phase, your healthcare provider will assist you in discovering positive thoughts and beliefs about yourself that will support the resolution of traumatic memories. Doing so can give you a greater sense of empowerment and equip you with tools to deal with future events more successfully.
In the fourth phase of EMDR, your healthcare provider will assist in strengthening one or more positive beliefs that you hold about yourself and your situation. This will reinforce the gains made during previous stages and give you motivation to keep striving towards your objectives.
In this final stage, your healthcare provider will assist you in alleviating any disabling symptoms that have developed from previous sessions. They may also suggest ways for you to remain calm and focused between appointments.
EMDR is an effective, evidence-based therapy that can help you address traumatic memories and other life obstacles. It follows an organized 8 phase process to focus on healing your emotions and beliefs that are holding you back. As such, EMDR serves as a powerful healing tool that can be combined with other treatments in order to get better faster and stay well for longer.