Trauma Therapy and EMDR
Trauma therapy is a specialised branch of mental health treatment that helps people heal from deeply distressing experiences that can shape our thoughts, beliefs, emotions, and relationships. Trauma can result from obvious, overwhelming experiences like accidents, abuse, or natural disasters , but it also includes subtler, yet powerful, experiences such as emotional neglect, bullying, or long-term stress from illness or work. Regardless of the trauma's size or shape, the emotional impact can lead to negative beliefs and heightened emotional responses, creating challenges in mental health, self-worth, and relationships.
Understanding Traumatic Memories
When we experience something traumatic, our brains code this memory into three components:
The sensory memory (what we see, smell, hear etc.)
The emotional memory (what we felt)
The meaning we attribute to the situation
These memories are stored in the part of our brain called the limbic system. The limbic system is where we the body is called into our fight-or-flight (or freeze-fawn,etc) response systems for survival. Memories stored in the limbic system are more readily and easily retrieved due to how important and salient we attribute them to be at the time.
However, when we recall a traumatic memory stored in the limbic system even if it was from many years ago, it can feel like it is happening right now, and we can be thrown into the same sense of fear, anticipation or alert-state. This is all to keep us safe and protected, but at the same time the part of the brain that makes us the most human, our pre-frontal cortex is hijacked and taken “offline”. Our pre-frontal cortex allows us to regulate our thoughts and feelings and find solutions to things appropriately. With our prefrontal cortex hijacked, sometimes we are unable to make the connection that the memory is a past experience, and we are actually safe in the present.
Memories in the limbic system are often recalled with great vividness and emotional charge, and may also hold sensory fragments of the event, rather than a complete account.
Memories that are processed and integrated are recalled with a clear sense of what is remembered in the past. These memories generally fade over time and lose their vividness and detail and therefore feel like a more distant, understood, and put to rest memory. EMDR helps to process memories so that they are where they belong - distanced and desensitised, instead of in the here and now.
What is EMDR Therapy?
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) therapy is a widely researched, effective therapy for trauma and other distressing life experiences. Developed by Dr. Francine Shapiro in the late 1980s, EMDR helps the brain process and reframe traumatic memories in a way that reduces their emotional charge. Through bilateral stimulation, such as guided eye movements or tapping, EMDR helps to create distancing and desensitisation to the distress of these memories, and increase daily functioning and quality of life as a result.
The 8 Phases of EMDR Therapy
There are 8 phases of EMDR therapy, whilst it is important to note that pending your needs and presence of trauma symptoms, variations of the EMDR process may be required.
1. History-Taking and Treatment Planning: In the initial phase, the therapist gathers a comprehensive history, understanding both the trauma and the client’s current emotional landscape. They discuss past experiences, current symptoms, and how the trauma impacts daily life. Together, they identify specific traumatic memories to focus on during treatment.
2. Preparation: Here, the therapist explains how EMDR works and prepares the client by teaching self-regulation and self-soothing skills. This phase builds trust and ensures the client is equipped to manage any emotional distress that may arise.
3. Assessment: The therapist helps the client identify specific images, emotions, and negative beliefs associated with the traumatic memory. They may rate the level of distress these memories evoke, creating a baseline for progress during the treatment.
4. Desensitisation: During this phase, the actual EMDR processing begins. The client recalls traumatic memories while following the therapist’s hand or light movements. This bilateral stimulation helps reduce the distressing intensity of these memories and allows for gradual reprocessing.
5. Installation: This phase strengthens positive beliefs associated with the reprocessed memory. For example, instead of “I am helpless,” a client might reframe their belief to “I am capable.” This positive shift helps foster resilience and a healthier self-concept.
6. Body Scan: In this phase, the therapist guides the client to observe any residual tension or discomfort in the body related to the memory. Addressing physical sensations helps ensure that healing occurs at both emotional and physical levels.
7. Closure: Each EMDR session concludes with grounding techniques, ensuring the client leaves the session feeling calm and in control. The therapist may also encourage the client to reflect on any changes between sessions.
8. Reevaluation: In this final phase, the therapist and client review progress, assessing which memories have been reprocessed and which may need further work. Reevaluation ensures any remaining distress is addressed before concluding therapy.
How Many Sessions of EMDR are Needed?
The number of EMDR sessions required varies based on the trauma's complexity, the individual's history, and their emotional resilience. For some, particularly those with single-incident traumas, 6-12 sessions may be enough to achieve lasting results. However, people with complex trauma or multiple traumatic experiences may require more sessions, sometimes spanning several months to fully process and heal the memories.
Is EMDR Right for Everyone?
EMDR may not be suitable for everyone, especially those with severe dissociation, active psychosis, or intense emotional instability, as the treatment can evoke strong emotions. In these cases, other stabilisation techniques or therapies may be more appropriate initially.
If you are also going through any court or legal matters in relation to incidents of trauma you have experienced, it may be recommended to delay EMDR, as if you are required to give evidence EMDR can affect recollection.
Finding an Trauma/EMDR Therapist
When searching for a Trauma or EMDR therapist, I would consider the following:
1. Are they experienced with the type of trauma you have experienced? Whilst EMDR is applicable across a range of traumatic experiences, engaging a clinician who also has deep understanding of the experiences of trauma you may have gone through can be really important. For example, experiences of domestic violence or childhood sexual assault often have unique dynamics, risk and safety factors that need to be considered in therapy.
2. Do you feel comfortable, and feel a sense of safety with the therapist? This one can be hard to work out early on, but how you FEEL with a therapist can be as important as the knowledge or experience of a therapist. I always recommend having a good look at a therapists website and the practices social media accounts, to screen if someone is going to be a good fit. I also recommend reaching out to the therapist for a discovery call, and having questions ready that will help you get a good sense of who they are.
The Dawn is Trauma Specialist Service offering EMDR
Nicole Staats is an Accredited Mental Health Social Worker and trained in EMDR, with specialist knowledge with survivors of relational trauma- domestic violence, sexual abuse, childhood trauma. Nicole is able to see clients with Mental Health Care Plans (medicare rebates), NDIS, Victims Services and Private Fee Paying. Nicole is also a Clinical Supervisor to other social workers and helping professionals.
Reach out via the contact page if you are seeking support to discuss further.
Written by,
Nicole Staats
Principal Therapist, Founder and Solo Queen of The Dawn Therapeutic Services