Who can benefit from EPDH Therapy
Miscellaneous / / April 04, 2023
You can survive trauma with the help of certain movements of the eyes and hands.
What is EMDR Therapy
EMDR, or EMDR, stands for desensitization (i.e. reduced sensitivity) and eye movement processing. This is a method of psychotherapy in which eye movements, patting or rhythmic sounds are usedEMDR Therapy / Cleveland Clinic for the treatment of conditions causedS.B. Menon, C. Jayan. Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing: A Conceptual Framework / Indian Journal of Psychological Medicine traumatic events. For example, violence, fighting, loss of a limb.
EMDH therapy was invented by Francine Shapiro in 1987 to help clients deal with post-traumatic stress disorder. Over time, the range of application of the method has expanded.
Elena Telmanova
Educational psychologist, EMDR therapist, supervisor
EMAP is considered a scientifically proven method of dealing with the experience of single traumatic events. (violence, traffic accidents, evidence of a person’s death), the consequences of psychological trauma (phobias, fears) and other. The method consists in addressing a certain traumatic situation for a short period of time and at the same time focusing on external visual (eye movement), tactile (pat on the shoulder) or auditory (specific sound) stimulus.
Why does DDG work?
This is still incomprehensible. But there are hypotheses.
If memory cannot process information about a traumatic event, and some triggers make a person come backEye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) Therapy / Posttraumatic Stress Disorder to him, he experiences past feelings and emotions, experiences stress and pain.
But EMPG makes memories less painful. The fact is that external stimuli makeS.B. Menon, C. Jayan. Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing: A Conceptual Framework / Indian Journal of Psychological Medicine the brain is distracted. A person cannot simultaneously focus on them and inner experiences. Therefore, the memory fades, loses its emotionality and completeness. The assessment of the event changes, the person can cope with it: he stops feeling fear, anger, phantom pain.
Elena Telmanova
According to Francine Shapiro, EMDR helps to learn certain lessons from the past, reduce the destructive reaction in the trigger situation and find that model of behavior in the future that will allow you to calmly or even more positively perceive the previously traumatic experience.
What Situations Can EMDR Therapy Help With?
Despite the fact that the method is relatively new, and its mechanism is not fully understood, already publishedEMDR Therapy / Cleveland Clinic dozens of studies that have confirmed that it helps. To date provenEMDR Therapy / Cleveland Clinic effectiveness of DPDH in the treatment of conditions such as:
- post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD);
- depression;
- anxiety disorder;
- obsessive-compulsive disorder;
- eating disorders.
Elena Telmanova
This method of therapy helps to identify in communication with the client exactly those situations, experiences, destructive states that cause discomfort in his life. For example, it may be a negative behavioral and/or emotional reaction to communication with people or a particular person.
There are very few contraindications for DPDH, but they still exist: epilepsy, psychotic states, inability to tolerate a high level of anxiety during and between psychotherapeutic sessions.
How is EMDR therapy performed?
EMDR therapy consists ofEye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) Therapy / Posttraumatic Stress Disorder out of eight stages.
1. Collection of anamnesis
First, the therapist asks the person about their condition and takes a medical history to determine the goals of treatment.
2. Preparation
After collecting an anamnesis, the specialist talks about the method, teaches you exactly how to move your eyes and what to do with your hands. Also at this stage, practices to deal with stress are practiced, for example, the “safe place” exercise. This technique is needed to create some kind of space in the head in which it will be good and calm. In a difficult situation, you can mentally move into it in order to reduce stress and achieve a resourceful state.
3. Grade
Now you need to choose a target memory, evaluate what feelings it causes, what positive belief you want to come to in the future.
4. Desensitization
The therapist helps activate the memory to determine what the person felt, what images came to mind, how the memory resonates in the body.
5. Memory handling
At this stage, the psychologist will ask you to focus on the positive belief that you need to create. It can be something that was invented in the third stage, or something that arose on its own in the fourth.
6. body scan
The patient should now focus on physical sensations throughout the body, especially those that arise when thinking about that situation. This stage helps to determine the progress in general: sessions will be needed until the symptoms completely disappear.
7. closure
At this stage, the therapist may suggest relaxation techniques to help maintain the progress made.
8. Result evaluation
In the next session, the psychologist will ask about those memories that were worked out in the last meeting. If they no longer cause suffering, it may be time to move on to new goals.
How fast can EMDR help?
A total of 6 to 12 sessions 1-2 times a week may be required, but significant relief usually occurs even sooner.
Elena Telmanova
In practice, there are improvements after one or two sessions. But sometimes it may take time to prepare the client to deal with the traumatic situation, as the session does not involve not only processing the client's experience, but also gathering information about the disturbing experience, about the client himself - his thoughts, feelings, bodily sensations. This will help to choose a comfortable pace of work, assess the readiness to work on the injury and the personal characteristics of a particular person.
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