Things to know before starting EMDR therapy
Emotional distress has become common among people these days. It could be due to a job, relationship, harsh childhood experience, etc. These situations have a lasting impact on our minds and result in harmful reactions such as panic attacks, depression, stress, and other types of mental disorders.
The absence of appropriate treatment couldn’t address these problems, leaving a person with no hope. However, on little research, you may find that many therapists are coming up with the new treatment process, which is effective and backed by American Psychological Association. EMDR therapy is one of them.
What is EMDR therapy?
EMDR or eye moment desensitization and reprocessing is stress-relieving therapy to treat post-traumatic stress, anxiety, and depression. Under this psychotherapy technique, a person is relieved from a traumatic experience with the help of eye movement. The idea is to recall daunting memories while the therapist diverts your attention. Through this therapy, gradually, you learn to remain at ease while recalling upsetting moments.
Neurological explanation
Harsh memories trigger the emotional part of the brain and reduce the activeness of the rational part. That’s why a person stops reasoning after reminiscing about a daunting memory. EMDR therapy helps process traumatic memory without affecting rational thinking.
Many experts support EMDR therapy in Phoenix, AZ, due to its various benefits listed below. These therapies are mainly used to treat the following mental illness-
- Depression
- Anxiety
- Post-traumatic stress
- Addictions
This therapy perfectly works for people who hesitate to express their thoughts. In this therapy, you don’t need to share your experience deeply; the therapist wants you to recall harsh memories and learn to cope with them. So, if you don’t want to share much, EMDR can work. You can read on to know the elaborative process of this therapy-
- Treatment planning
Any EMDR therapist in Phoenix, Arizona, may start the process by treatment planning. For that, you may have to tell your experience with daunting thought in brief to the therapist. It is imperative to share a little information so that the therapist may know at what stage you are. After seeking all information from you, the therapist will discuss the suitable treatment plan and schedule.
- Preparation part
Therapists may not start the process immediately as they have to prepare you for therapy. Initially, you would be exposed to some mindfulness activities such as breathing and meditation. They may also share some stress management techniques that you can practice in daily life.
- Assessment process
Under this phase, therapists may trigger the memory bothering you and let them understand your reaction to those thoughts. This process helps them identify the root cause of trouble and target it through therapy.
- Treatment process
After the assessment process, the therapy will begin, and your therapist may ask you to recall disturbing thoughts, images, memory. While recalling, your therapist will ask you to focus on moving objects. The back and forth movement of the eye will distract your brain, but the therapist may stress recalling the moment. Therapists work on fragments of thoughts, so they may ask you to recall only a fragment of memory. After this small exercise, they ask you to observe that fragmented thought. Slowly, you will adapt to that thought, and the therapist will start working on the next fragment of thought.
- Evaluation process
The final process involves evaluation. Monitoring is essential for observing the effect of emdr therapy so that the therapist may include some changes in the next session.
Once you know what happens in EMDR therapy, you can also work on yourself to get the most out of this therapy.
How to get the best out of this therapy?
The success of EMDR therapy depends on how open you are with your therapist. Although you can choose not to reveal much information, sharing a little more can help your therapist figure out the most crucial points. Therapists are trained people and may need your cooperation to bring out the best result. They will never ask you to do something unpleasant, and the therapy will be focused only on you. You can get the best out of this therapy by trusting your therapist.
