Each week we will be sharing a tip from our school psychologist, Mrs. Rollins.

This week we are talking about – What is EDMR therapy?

EDMR or Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing is a type of therapy that can help with PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder) or traumatic memories causing anxiety, depression, eating disorders or obsessive-compulsive disorders. While focusing on a memory, the client simultaneously does a bilateral stimulation like eye movement, tapping or tones.

While repeated studies have shown this therapy to be effective, scientist are unsure how it works in the brain. It is based on a theory called Adaptive Information Processing which is supposed to target how a distressing memory is stored in the brain. One study has shown that lateral movement of the eyes can suppress the amygdala, which is a brain structure that is responsible for threat detection.

An expected course of treatment consists of 6 to 12 sessions, held once or twice a week. Studies done of this method suggest that a single distressing memory can be processed within 3 sessions. Therapy takes an 8-phase approach:

• History Taking and Treatment Planning – therapist and client work together to understand client history and complete any necessary assessment to identify target memories for treatment.
• Preparation- this phase ensures the client knows how to use tools such as eye movement, tapping or tones, as well as any emotion evaluation, body scan and walking through a Safe/Calm place exercise.
• 3. Assessing the Target Memory- clients are taught to use two scales to assess target memory’s impact on them: Validity of Cognition and Subjective Units of Disturbance. These are scales used to measure how true a positive statement is about a memory or how disturbing their memory feels to them.
• 4-7. Processing the memory to adaptive resolution- the process of desensitization is worked through using tools taught from the preparation phase.
• 8. Evaluating Treatment Results-the client and therapist evaluate current state, whether treatment effects have continued, what other memories might have come up and what target memory, if any, is next to treat.

People are surprised at the immediate benefits of this therapy that is done relatively quickly and without medication or homework. It does not take away the memory, but seems to lessen the negative effect that the memory has on the client. As it is still a relatively new practice, it will there is more to learn about it with further research.

Psychology Today, the American Psychological Association, and the National Library of Medicine all have more information on this topic if you are interested.

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