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What is EMDR Therapy?

By: Rane Wallace, MS, LPC, LCDC, SAP
EMDR therapy Fort Worth, Texas

Ever heard of eye movement desensitization and reprocessing therapy? More commonly known as EMDR, this revolutionary mental health treatment alleviates the symptoms and distress associated with traumatic memories. As EMDR-trained professionals, our team is revealing everything you need to know about EMDR therapy in today’s blog post. Stay tuned to learn whether this treatment option is right for you.

How EMDR Therapy Works

So, how does EMDR work? Well, this relatively new treatment uses the assumption that the mind heals from psychological trauma as much as the body recovers from physical trauma. Our brains naturally gravitate towards mental well-being. However, blockages (like traumatic experiences) sometimes get in the way. Following detailed protocols and procedures, EMDR clinicians (like those at Fort Wellness Counseling) help people re-activate their natural healing process.

How so? Well, EMDR therapy is an eight-phase treatment that uses eye movements (bilateral stimulation) to process traumatic memories. During treatment, your clinician asks you to consider different aspects of the trauma while simultaneously moving a hand across your field of vision.

As this happens, internal associations arise, and you begin processing the memory and/or disturbing feelings. When EMDR therapy is successful, the meaning of painful events is transformed on an emotional level. People who once felt debased by traumatic events walk away from EMDR therapy feeling empowered.

What Does EMDR Therapy in Fort Worth Involve?

As we mentioned, EMDR Therapy is an eight-phase treatment, occurring over multiple sessions. Generally, treatment consists of three to six sessions for a single event or memory. However, more complex or longer traumas might take anywhere from eight to 12 or more sessions to overcome.

Phase 1: Patient History & Info Gathering

EMDR therapy begins by gathering information about the patient and their history (including the traumatic event to be discussed). By delving into your past experiences, your EMDR clinician can determine whether EMDR therapy is the right treatment option for you.

Phase 2: Preparation & Education

The next phase of EMDR therapy involves setting expectations. The clinician explains what will happen during your EMDR sessions. Additionally, they provide tools for managing your emotions and maximizing stability during sessions.

Phase 3: Assessment

Phase three is all about identifying themes and specific memories that you want to reprocess. Together, we’ll identify the negative beliefs stemming from how the trauma made you feel. Then, we’ll determine what positive beliefs you want to maintain moving forward.

Phase 4: Desensitization & Reprocessing

The next phase of EMDR therapy is desensitization and reprocessing. During this phase, your EMDR clinician activates your memory by helping you identify negative thoughts, images, feelings, and body sensations. Throughout the reprocessing, you’ll take note of how you feel and pay attention to any new insights coming to mind.

Phase 5: Installation

During the installation phase, your clinician asks you to focus on positive beliefs as you process the memory. These beliefs can either be what you thought of during phase three or something new that emerged in phase four.

Phase 6: Body Scan

Next, the clinician asks you to focus on how you feel within your body. During this time, it’s especially important to note any feelings that arise when thinking about or experiencing the negative memory. As you go through the sessions, your symptoms should continue to lessen. And once you no longer experience those negative feelings, your reprocessing is complete.

Phase 7: Closure & Stabilization

Consider phase seven the bridge between EMDR and later therapy sessions. During this step, your clinician explains what to expect between sessions and reveals how to stabilize yourself as needed. Know that our clinicians won’t ever end an EMDR session until you feel completely calm and safe.

Phase 8: Reevaluation & Continuing Care

The final phase of EMDR therapy involves assessing your progress and determining if additional sessions are needed. Generally, this phase also explores future experiences (like assessing how you’ll handle things knowing what you have learned).

Best Therapists for EMDR in Fort Worth, Texas

Are you interested in exploring EMDR therapy in Fort Worth, Texas? The qualified EMDR clinicians at Fort Wellness Counseling are here for you. After undergoing extensive training, we incorporate EMDR therapy into personalized treatment plans for those facing traumatic memories or experiences. Having helped many individuals cope with their emotional and physical responses to trauma, we are confident we can do the same for you. 

If you’re interested in learning more about EMDR and other trauma therapy techniques, contact our team today. We would be more than happy to walk you through the process and answer any questions you might have about EMDR therapy.

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