What Are EMDR Counseling Practices All About?

EMDR, meaning Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing, represents a form of psychotherapy that concentrates on assisting people in recovering from psychiatric issues. Francine Shapiro, a psychologist, developed it in the late 1980s, and it is now considered an evidence-based trauma treatment. It is a clinically accepted form of psychotherapy for many issues, including post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, and anxiety.

The basic concept of EMDR counseling is that the brain’s information processing system may become overloaded after a traumatic event. The memory of this event can become stuck in the person’s brain, leading to recurring and intrusive thoughts. The goal of EMDR counseling is to process this trauma properly to bring about relief from symptoms such as nightmares, intrusive thoughts, and flashbacks.

During an EMDR session, the EMDR therapy Denver counselor will determine the mental health issue causing distress and create a plan tailored to the individual. The therapist then uses bilateral stimulation to stimulate both sides of the brain. This often involves providing tactile, auditory, or visual stimuli, such as eye movements, audio tones, and hand taps. Other forms of stimulation may also be used.

The aim is to aid the client in processing this information to create new perspectives about the trauma and feel more mentally healthy. After the client has finished processing the material, the therapist will ask them if they have any beliefs contradicting the trauma. This is to help the client explore new beliefs that replace those related to the trauma.