EMDR is a Wonderful Tool and Hard Work!
There has been a growing body of research over the last 3 decades affirming the effectiveness of EMDR therapy for a host of mental health struggles including but not limited to PTSD, C- PTSD, anxiety and depression (de Jongh et al., 2024). Studies have shown EMDR to be more effective in some cases than even some medications such as Prozac and other traditional models such as trauma focused CBT and prolonged exposure therapy (van der Kolk et al., 2007). The benefits of EMDR are incredible and growing in scope as we continue to study its efficacy.
One of the challenges that we often face is that people sometimes get the idea that EMDR functions like a procedure that is done to you vs a healing process that you have to be an active participant in. I believe this may be in part because EMDR is a phased model of therapy as and is known for the reprocessing stage with eye movements. This perception can be a hindrance to the process as it can mislead people as to what to expect as part of the process of engaging in EMDR therapy.
There are many implications for using the AIP (Adaptive Information Processing) model of EMDR that can be valuable even if you are not in the reprocessing phase using eye movements. The AIP model of EMDR is a robust model of therapy which is designed to address the past, present, and future through 8 Phases of therapy. The first three stages include a thoughtful history taking, preparing the client with the internal and external resources they need to help them in life and in the reprocessing stage, and the third is an assessment phase where we are collectively identifying the memories we are going to be reprocessing. Each person moves through these stages at varying rates depending on a number of factors. There can also be a lot of benefit in these early stages of therapy not being rushed, both because they can be really helpful in and of themselves and because it sets up the person as best as possible to get the most out of the next phases which are memory processing. While there may be times where it is appropriate to jump to the reprocessing phase of EMDR, there is also value in building the therapeutic relationship and ensuring that the person has the proper internal and external support needed to help them through the challenges of life and this stage of therapy. We know that many times people are hurt in relationships and relationships also provide a unique opportunity for healing.
Healing is a brave and challenging process. While it should be done with as much care and compassion as possible, it also takes a commitment from the individual to process through their pain and allow their body the opportunity to experience something new and adaptive. EMDR is an incredible tool to help facilitate that process and the individual still needs to be an active participant in the process.
References:
de Jongh, A., de Roos, C., & El-Leithy, S. (2024). State of the science: Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) therapy. Journal of Traumatic Stress, 37, 205–216. https://doi.org/10.1002/jts.23012
van der Kolk, B. A., Spinazzola, J., Blaustein, M. E., Hopper, J. W., Hopper, E. K., Korn, D. L., & Simpson, W. B. (2007). A randomized clinical trial of eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR), fluoxetine, and pill placebo in the treatment of posttraumatic stress disorder: treatment effects and long-term maintenance. The Journal of clinical psychiatry, 68(1), 37–46. https://doi.org/10.4088/jcp.v68n0105
