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Trauma and EMDR

Molly* was feeling “stuck,” and her therapist agreed.

Their traditional talk therapy sessions were helpful early on. But, as the work grew more in-depth and the discussions became more focused on her past trauma, therapy was not progressing.

She had spent time with other therapists off and on and had learned how her thoughts contributed to her feelings. She had even learned not to make decisions based on her emotions. But, when would the feelings ever change? Or could they?

She felt hopeless.

She and her husband had joint therapy and learned healthier communication tools. She felt close to him emotionally; yet, she couldn’t enjoy physical intimacy. Molly, like many clients, thought it was her fault she couldn’t get rid of the negative emotions and physiological symptoms (heart pounding, wanting to hide, impulse to hit someone, or just run away) any time something triggered her.

She had experienced trauma. Anytime something similar was brought up, whether in conversation or on the news, she avoided it or argued with her spouse. What we have learned is that sometimes our thoughts are contributing to feeling yucky; however, sometimes it’s the other way around. To feel better, we must think better is true.

Yet, it is also true, especially for persons who have had trauma, to think better, we must feel better. Imagine it as two sides of the same coin. What Cognitive Behavioral Therapy accomplished in enabling us to do thought stopping, replace lies with truth, and discard the self-defeating thoughts, EMDR can do if our feeler is stuck. What I mean by this might best be understood by an example.

In Molly’s case, she had been traumatized by an inappropriate sexual relationship an adult family member had with her when she was too young to give consent. Now, although she loved her husband, she found physical touch and anything sexual “gross.” Molly couldn’t even watch romantic movies without feeling the shame and wanting to escape.

Molly was beginning to feel as if nothing would help her extreme, racing, debilitating thoughts, her sudden flashbacks, and her sleepless nights.

Was she a hopeless case? Would nothing help her?

Introducing that “weird eye therapy” called EMDR…

You might be thinking, “Oh yeah… isn’t that some smoke-and-mirrors, bunch-of-baloney brainwashing technique?”

It’s quite the opposite.

You might be surprised to learn that this form of treatment for trauma (and many other mental health conditions) is highly respected and scientifically proven to be highly successful.

Now, back to Molly: she thought the problem was her; it wasn’t. The problem was she had never reprocessed the place her memory was stored in her brain. You see, logical memories are stored in the frontal lobe. Yet, emotionally traumatic memories are stored in the amygdala. We can see this on functional magnetic resonance imaging.

Through EMDR, we can reprocess memory in the amygdala…

… (where the fight, flee or freeze mechanism lives) and refile it, so to speak, in our logical frontal lobe. As a result, the event(s) that happened to us will hopefully be the worst thing we ever have to go through; however, it is not part of our identity. The beauty of EMDR is that you will know after a few sessions if it is working to benefit you or not. Molly continued attending her talk therapy sessions and incorporated EMDR between them.

She immediately began to feel better, but she couldn’t understand how this could be the answer. She gained more and more insight as she progressed with EMDR and reached the place that she described as “I’m living the real me for the first time in my life.” She added, “I was scared of who I might be and hid even from myself.” EMDR was used to help Anna find her way back to freedom. She and her husband are parents now, and she tells everyone how EMDR set her free from the prison she had carefully designed to protect her that was keeping her trapped by the past trauma.

Developed in the late 1980’s, Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) therapy currently has more scientific research as a treatment for trauma than any other non-pharmaceutical intervention. Based on empirical evidence, as well as thousands of client and clinician testimonials, EMDR has proven an effective and rapid method of reprocessing traumatic memories.

Does this surprise you?

EMDR can be an effective way to address hypervigilance, reactivity, effects of abuse or trauma, and other barriers that impact your ability to connect with others or enjoy life.

Joel* was a successful businessman and entrepreneur.

He was proud of the fact that he had accomplished his wealth through honest hard work. He was a kind and generous man who employed family members and friends to help them benefit from his success.

In time, Joel was betrayed by a close family member, and it caused severe financial and legal ramifications for his business and personal life. He began to feel panic of “fight, flight, or freeze” and couldn’t make decisions that were essential to his companies because he was afraid he didn’t know everything and couldn’t trust the folks who supported him. He began having early 3 am awakenings and couldn’t control his thoughts.

It began to take a toll on his relationships, especially with his wife. They had been married for five years now; yet, no babies. Her family couldn’t understand what the delay was, and Joel was not ready to admit his testosterone level was low. The specialist recommended hormone therapy and counseling for his “type A” personality.

After a few sessions, Joel realized the middle-of-night awakenings filled him were not thoughts related to work or trying to become a father. They were all about his early childhood experiences in a family that required him to take on adult roles to ensure all the other kids were safe. He was burdened with guilt and anger. He loved his family but realized how he had been taken advantage of and was still in the caretaker role for all the others who used him because he always made money.

Joel began to question everything in his life, his faith, his support system, and even his purpose for living. He began EMDR and noticed his sleep problems resolved within the first couple of weeks. He found it “eerie” and questioned how his talking about his pain while rapidly moving his eyes to a calm light could help him feel so much better. He decided not to knock it if it was working.

Over time, Joel was able to compartmentalize the differences between what happened when he was a child and had no control versus what he can choose now as an adult and has choices about how he runs his businesses. EMDR’s work helped him realize he was making choices today like he was still trapped in yesterday.

Joel took some time off to just chill and shut down some businesses. He vacationed for a couple of months and is back now. He stated his new goals are to invest his money in what he believes in rather than to take care of anyone who leans on him.

He feared telling his family; however, in time, he learned new skills to practice when the overwhelming emotions came knocking. Eventually, he pulled up the courage to address things with his family members.

Initially, arguments ensued, but this time, they were able to stay to hear each other out and grew closer from the tough talks. In a recent session, he laughed as he shared, “In the past, I would have welcomed a crisis just to avoid them all… but now, I no longer think that way and look forward to making new family memories.

Joel decided to tell a couple of friends about EMDR because “they need this even worse than I do …(hearty laugh).” Joel was able to understand the past better so he could forgive his loved one’s betrayal; but, only after he realized it didn’t mean “just forgetting it.” He feels more peaceful now that he discovered his strength to hold’em accountable and do the hard work of dealing with it all.

So, here’s how it works…

Stress responses are part of our natural fight, flight, or freeze instincts. When distress from a disturbing event remains, the disturbing images, thoughts, and emotions may create feelings of overwhelm, of being back in that moment, or of being “frozen in time.”

EMDR therapy helps the brain process these memories and allows routine healing to resume. The experience is still remembered; but the fight, flight, or freeze response from the actual event is resolved.

Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) therapy is an extensively researched, effective psychotherapy method proven to help people recover from trauma and other distressing life experiences, including PTSD, anxiety, depression, and panic disorders or other severe unresolved trauma (such as violent assault, abuse, combat, or an accident).

EMDR is highly specialized and follows an eight-step protocol that includes elements of several other therapies (psychodynamic, cognitive behavioral, interpersonal, experiential, and body-centered) and involves external stimulation using bilateral eye movements, tones, or taps.

What does the client do in EMDR?

You will be asked to recall the disturbing issue or event, including what you were feeling, seeing, and hearing at the time it happened.

Then you will talk about what thoughts and beliefs you currently have about that event. While you keep that in mind, you will focus your eyes on a light bar in the color of your preference. As you follow the movement of the light bar and think about the disturbing incident, your mind will gradually begin to let go of the pain connected with the memory.

As your brain processes the information, it gradually heals so the memory will become less disturbing. Eventually, positive thoughts will replace negative thoughts.

The number of EMDR sessions varies with everyone. Sometimes an individual wants to work on an isolated event; yet, others may wish to address compounded trauma of various types of trauma occurring over many years. For some persons, the individual connected to the trauma is still in their life, while for others, they are not. Thus, I will work closely with you to evaluate your goals and symptoms, so we tailor the EMDR therapy to your needs.

What does the therapist do in EMDR sessions?

I will sit across the room from you, where I can see your eyes and body responses.

I will guide you in reminding you what to think about and to follow the light. I will check in with you from time to time and guide you through the session to ensure you are doing fine and are not experiencing significant distress.

At any time, you may stop the session by merely saying stop. I will answer any questions you have and work with you as we go along to accomplish your goals.

The videos below are provided courtesy of the Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing International Association (EMDRIA); to learn more, please visit EMDRIA.org.

As a clinician, I am passionate about the results of this treatment.

I have witnessed first-hand the benefits of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) as well as other modalities; however, it was apparent to me that CBT had limitations with persons who have had significant trauma. It was impossible for some clients to alter their cognitive distortions (irrational thoughts) so they could improve. These clients were “stuck” and couldn’t just change their “thoughts” to “feel” better.

So I began to investigate how I might be able to target their “feelings” so they could “think better.” EMDR was the treatment I chose because it is a psychotherapy that enables people to heal from the symptoms and emotional distress that are the result of disturbing life experiences.

EMDR is a valid mental health intervention and should only be offered by properly trained and licensed mental health clinicians. The EMDR International Association does not condone or support indiscriminate uses of EMDR therapy such as “do-it-yourself” virtual therapy.

In our sessions, I can assure you that you are safe and in good hands as we work together to bring you much needed emotional relief from your traumatic experience.

In my professional opinion, EMDR is a worthy method for treating trauma that goes beyond “talking about it” to actually reprocessing the experience so you can put it behind you. It helps the brain reorganize memories, connect the mind with physical sensations, and associate new meanings to events.

Did you know that trauma is also stored in the physical body?

As a scientist, that fascinates me.

We are learning how to serve our clients better the more we discover how pain is stored in the body. This makes sense if you think about how stress affects our physical organs and vice versa. To learn more about this connection, please check out Dr. Bessel Van De Kolk’s book, The Body Keeps the Score, to learn more.

For years, scientists thought that severe emotional pain requires a long time to heal. Remember the early days of Electro Convulsive Shock Treatment?

Well, the good news of today is that EMDR therapy shows that the mind can, in fact, heal from psychological trauma much as the body recovers from physical trauma. If you break your arm and it is placed in a cast, did the cast heal your arm? Did the physician or health service provider that wrapped your arm heal it? No, your body is built to heal itself!

Similarly, if a thorn is in your foot, immediately your body begins to react and send fluids to surround the thorn and ultimately encase it, so it does not continue to invade your member. If someone removes that thorn, healing is accelerated. Mental processes follow a similar sequencing when EMDR therapy is employed.

Your brain’s information processing system naturally moves toward mental health. If the system is blocked or imbalanced by the impact of a disturbing event, the emotional wound festers and can cause intense suffering. Once the block is removed, healing resumes. Using the detailed protocols and procedures learned in EMDR therapy training sessions, clinicians help clients remove blocks and activate their natural healing processes.

EMDR can help reprocess these traumatic memories…

… so that you become desensitized to triggers.

Triggers are those things that happen to us or around us (events, circumstances) that provoke very uncomfortable emotional or psychiatric symptoms (i.e., panic, resentment, negative self-talk, anxiety, discouragement, or even despair). Although it is customary to react to triggers, if we recognize them and choose to respond differently, they lose their ability to cause us more pain. We feel better as opposed to experiencing a downward spiral of emotions.

Some examples of common triggers are:

  • aggressive-sounding noises or exposure to anything that makes you feel uncomfortable;
  • being yelled at;
  • frightening news events;
  • being around someone who has treated you badly;
  • too much to do, feeling overwhelmed;
  • physical illness;
  • certain smells, tastes, or noises;
  • family friction;
  • the end of a relationship;
  • spending too much time alone;
  • being judged, criticized, teased, or put down;
  • sexual harassment;
  • financial problems, getting a big bill; or
  • the anniversary dates of losses or trauma.

Let’s get you past this trauma – safely, gently, and effectively.

I have successfully used EMDR to resolve flashbacks and other trauma-related symptoms, integrate dissociative identities, and eliminate roadblocks to personal and professional growth.

However, EMDR is not a substitute for psychotherapy. I will typically require that individuals seeking EMDR do so as a form of adjunct treatment and then return to psychotherapy with their referring provider. If you do not have a mental health provider, we can move into traditional psychotherapy once our EMDR work is completed.

I am happy to provide more information so you can decide if EMDR is right for you.

Please, don’t put this off. Relief is available! Call me today at (281) 900-8040.

*Names and demographics changed to preserve client confidentiality.

Treatment Guidelines

EMDR therapy is listed as a treatment for PTSD and other trauma and stressor disorders by the following organizations. These treatment guidelines are based on reviews that evaluate the research of established evidence-based mental health treatments.

American Psychiatric Association. (2004). Practice guideline for the treatment of patients with acute stress disorder and posttraumatic stress disorder. Washington DC: Author. Retrieved from: https://www.psychiatry.org/psychiatrists/practice/clinical-practice-guidelines

American Psychological Association. (2017). Clinical practice guideline for the treatment of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in adults. Washington DC: Author. Retrieved from: https://www.apa.org/ptsd-guideline/ptsd.pdf

United States Department of Veterans & United States Department of Defense. (2017). VA/DoD clinical practice guideline for the management of post-traumatic stress disorder and acute stress disorder. The Management of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Work Group. Office of Quality and Performance publication. doi:10Q-CPG/PTSD-04. Retrieved from: https://www.healthquality.va.gov/guidelines/MH/ptsd/

International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies. (2018). PTSD prevention and treatment guidelines methodology and recommendations. Oakbrook Terrace, IL: Author. Retrieved from: https://www.istss.org/treating-trauma/new-istss-prevention-and-treatment-guidelines.aspx

National Institute for Health and Care Excellence. (2018). Post-traumatic stress disorder. NICE guideline [NG116]. Retrieved from: https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng116

Phoenix Australia – Centre for Posttraumatic Mental Health. (2013). Australian guidelines for the treatment of acute stress disorder and posttraumatic stress disorder. Melbourne, Australia: Author. Retrieved from: https://www.phoenixaustralia.org/resources/ptsd-guidelines/

Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services America. (2012). Comparative effectiveness research series. Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing therapy: An information resource. SAMHSA’s National Registry of Evidence-based Programs and Practices.

The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. (2013). Psychological therapies for chronic post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in adults. Issue 12. Article no. CD003388. doi:10.1002/14651858.CD003388.pub4. Retrieved from: https://www.cochrane.org/CD003388/DEPRESSN_psychological-therapies-chronic-post-traumatic-stress-disorder-ptsd-adults

World Health Organization. (2013). Guidelines for the management of conditions specifically related to stress. Geneva: Author. Retrieved from: https://www.who.int/mental_health/emergencies/stress_guidelines/en/

EMDR is also found useful by the United Kingdom Department of Health, Dutch National Steering Committee for Health Care, Israeli National Council for Mental Health, and many other international health and governmental agencies. Research has shown that EMDR can be an efficient and rapid treatment.