A short presentation to give a general idea of what EMDR is

1. Captain
Mac
McCormack
QARANC

3. What is it ?
 EMDR is a form of psychotherapy that was developed
to resolve symptoms resulting from disturbed and
unresolved life events or experience
 It uses a structured approach to address Past, present
and future aspects of disturbed memories.
 As well as its primary use for trauma and PTSD it is
also used for chronic pain, performance enhancement,
smoking cessation , depression, addictions and grief.
 EMDR is simply a form or desensitization

4. How did it start
 Invented in the 80’s by Dr Francise Shapiro
 Noted that disturbed thoughts disappear after
engaging in a particular eye movement actually no
longer upset her.
 Began to study and note the effects on others. Thus
developing and fine tuning EMDR.

5. How does it work
 The Theory suggests it helps the sufferer process
distressing memories more fully
 Thus reducing the distress
 Its unique aspect it the bilateral eye movement
 Also bilateral sound, tactile stimulation
 Utilises bodies sensations and visualised images

6.  When the individual is traumatised they experience such
strong emotions that it is thought to over whelm the brain.
 Consequently the brain is unable to cope with it, or to
process the information as it would do ordinarily.
 Distressed experiences become “frozen in time “
 Become intrusive memories or action replays.
 Reliving the event remembering the sights sounds smells
 Have a long lasting effect on how the person sees
themselves, people around them and the world.
 Can really effect every part of the persons life

7.  Directly influences the way the brain functions .
 Helps restore normal ways of dealing with problems
 Following successful treatment memories of the event
are far less painful when bought to mind.
 What has happened can still be recalled
 But is less upsetting
 EMDR appears to mimic what the brain does naturally
on a daily basis during dreaming or REM sleep


8. How effective is it
 It has been demonstrated to have significant advantages
over usual treatment for PTSD
 More studies on the use of EMDR and PTSD than any other
psychological treatment.
 Shown to be an effective on measures of trauma,
depression and anxiety in people who have been abused as
children.
 However it has been studied to be on a par with CBT, a lot
of studies have indicated that there are few sessions needed
with EMDR.
 EMDR is highly effective.

9.  NICE Guidelines for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder
 Psychological interventions
 1.9.2.1 All PTSD sufferers should be offered a course of trauma-focused
 psychological treatment (trauma-focused cognitive behavioural
 therapy or eye movement desensitisation and reprocessing). These
 treatments should normally be provided on an individual outpatient
 basis. A
 1.9.2.2 Trauma-focused psychological treatment should be offered to PTSD
 sufferers regardless of the time that has elapsed since the
 trauma. B
 NICE Guidelines 30/3/10
Updated/30/3/10 http://guidance.nice.org.uk/CG26/NICEGuidance/pdf/English

10. The Treatment
Eight Phases
1) History Taking
2) Preparation
3) Assessment
4) Desensitisation
5) Installation
6) Body scan
7) Closure
8) Re –evaluation.

11. First Phase
 History taking
 Treatment plan
 Identify and clarify potential targets and goals for
EMDR
 Targets refer to a disturbed issue , event or memory for
use as an initial focus.

12. Second Phase.
 Safe place to be identified such as images memory or
some thing that elicits a comfortable safe feeling.
 Can be used for later to bring closure to an
uncompleted
 Help the client to tolerate a upsetting session.

13. Third Phase.
 Snap shot image is identified that represents the target
and the disturbance that is associated with it.
 We use that image to help the client focus on the
target and a negative cognition is identified. (a
negative statement about the self that feels true when
the client focuses on the image.
 A positive cognition is also identified (positive
statement )

14. Fourth Stage.
 Client to focus on the image, the NC and the disturbed
emotion or body sensation.
 Follow fingers
 Client asked to report on what thought feeling physical
sensations images memories or changes that have
come up.
 To go with this thought
 The desensitization phase ends with checking the
subjective unit of distress hopefully reaching 0 or 1

15. Phase five
 This is the instillation stage
 Ask about positive cognition
 The view of the client at the original snap shot
 Maybe a stronger positive cognition is needed
 Client is asked to pull together the snap shot and the
new PC
 Asked how the PC feels on scale of 1-7

16. Phase six
 body scan – ask if there are pains any were in the
clients body any stresses or discomfort.
 If there are the client is asked to focus on this and a
new set of movements are issued
Phase seven
 Debrief the therapist gives the client appropriate
information and support needed.

17. Phase eight
 Re evaluate
 Review the week with the client
 Discuss new sensations and experiences
 The level of disturbance arising from the experience
 Ensure of the correct processing of the relevant
historical events

18. Any Questions?