EMDR for Trauma and Emotional Pain

Dr. Mihelich conducted clinical outcome research on EMDR in 1999.  She has treated hundreds of individuals with this method, usually accomplishing good results in a short period of time, when compared with other treatment methods.  While many insurance companies do not pay for this treatment, the investment is small compared to the quick results and safe, non-invasive method.   

This is a copy of a report from NewsMax on EMDR:

Drug-Free Treatment Helps Banish

Emotional Pain

This is the type of story I love — offering a simple, natural, noninvasive treatment for a serious health problem that might otherwise land a patient in a hospital or on dangerous medication. In this case, a form of psychotherapy that uses a patient’s eye movements — or, alternatively, simple tones or taps — is being used routinely for military combat veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and it has many applications for nonmilitary folks as well — maybe even for you.

Called Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), this therapy is an innovative blend of traditional psychotherapeutic approaches and… well, those not-so-usual methods that I mentioned above. It was developed in the 1980s, but, because it’s somewhat unconventional, it met some resistance. Now a significant body of research supports its value.

The theory is that repetitively stimulating the senses activates parts of the brain that help people who have had disturbing experiences get rid of the anguish associated with (or, in EMDR parlance, “process”) traumatic experiences so they can function better in everyday life. I interviewed Francine Shapiro, PhD, the pioneering psychologist who developed and introduced EMDR in the late 1980s.

Dr. Shapiro told me that EMDR can be used in many ways, including…

• For treatment of classic PTSD, which can occur after traumatic events such as combat, and also after such “everyday” traumatic events as accidents or abuse.

• For a variety of other troubling conditions, such as panic attacks, fears, relationship problems, anxiety, insomnia and depression.

• It can also be used to ease performance anxiety, for instance, for musicians, athletes, actors, public speakers and executives.

The Process

First let’s spend a minute discussing this idea of processing memories and experiences as being fundamental to emotional health. If you’ve experienced disruptive events that remain “unprocessed,” they can become destructive, blocking your ability to function normally — in fact, the theory is that this is what often underlies emotional and behavioral problems. Dr. Shapiro explained that the goal is to help people filter what’s useful from their life experiences, and let go of the rest so they can function without the damaging impact of emotional reactions.

How Does EMDR Work?

The “bilateral stimulation” or “dual stimulation” (the stimuli plus the memories) at the core of EMDR helps the neurophysiological system (the mind/body connection) free itself of blockages — the goal is to disconnect the memory from the negative emotions and thoughts. According to Dr. Shapiro, some researchers believe that the bilateral stimulation links into the same processes that occur during rapid eye movement (REM) sleep. “We dream during REM sleep, and that is the time that the brain processes disturbing information,” she said.

Dr. Shapiro offered this example. A woman who was raped many years ago now has a loving and supportive partner. But intimacy is difficult because the woman re-experiences the same terrifying emotions, troubling images and physical sensations that occurred during the assault. These unprocessed memories make it impossible for her to function well in her relationship. EMDR enables victims, such as this woman, to take in what is useful (their strength as survivors) and discard what’s useless (the feelings of fear, shame or guilt). Then they can go on to enjoy healthy intimate relationships with people they love.

Therefore, Dr. Shapiro explained, an EMDR treatment will address…

• Memories… the unprocessed disturbing memories that create difficulties.

• Current disturbances… the present-day situations that trigger similar feelings of distress.

• Future actions… the skills that people need to perform better in their lives, such as how to handle relationship difficulties or deliver an excellent presentation at work.

What to Expect

EMDR can work quickly and does not involve the use of hypnosis or drugs. Treatment sessions typically last 60 to 90 minutes. Good results may be achieved in as few as three reprocessing sessions, but more typically require five to 15 weekly sessions. The amount of time needed depends on the complexity of the case.

The first meeting: You’ll discuss your history so the clinician can design a treatment plan to meet your needs. This involves identifying memories that need to be reprocessed, which may be one particular event (say, an earthquake or a terrible accident) or perhaps choosing one to represent many (such as for a person who spent years in an abusive relationship). Dr. Shapiro noted that some people need to filter through several or many disturbing experiences to identify the root of their distress. Also at this first session, the clinician will discuss what to do so that you will be comfortable during and between treatments.

During EMDR reprocessing sessions: The therapist will ask you to bring a chosen memory to mind in a certain way… then will move his/her fingers rapidly back and forth about 18 inches in front of your eyes (or use another repetitive stimulus, such as tapping or lights)… and ask you to follow the movements with your eyes. Different sets of eye movements target the memory in order to reassociate it with more positive thoughts, such as “I am strong” and “It wasn’t my fault.”

Gaining Wide Acceptance

Dr. Shapiro told me that nearly two dozen studies now affirm EMDR’s value, and health organizations are recognizing this. For example…

• The American Psychiatric Association, the US Department of Veterans Affairs and the Department of Defense all endorse EMDR for post-traumatic stress.

• In a National Institute of Mental Health-funded study published in the Journal of Traumatic Stress, researchers found that for PTSD rape victims, EMDR was as effective as — and more efficient than — more traditional therapy, which required daily “homework” in order to be successful.

• Three sessions of EMDR produced positive changes in people who had symptoms from trauma, or even from more ordinary “life experiences,” according to a study in the Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology.

• The Israeli National Council for Mental Health recommends EMDR for the treatment of terror victims.

This therapy may provide gratifying results for people who are suffering greatly from terrifying events in their lives. You can learn more about EMDR at www.emdr.com (and you can find a trained and qualified clinician for EMDR at www.emdr.com/clinic.htm). Many health insurance plans cover EMDR, but always check with your insurer first to make sure.

Source(s):

Francine Shapiro, PhD, originator and developer of EMDR therapy. Dr. Shapiro is executive director of the EMDR Institute in Watsonville, California, and a senior research fellow at the Mental Research Institute in Palo Alto. She has been an invited speaker at psychology conferences worldwide and has written and coauthored more than 60 articles, chapters and books about EMDR.

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When Marital Therapy is not Likely to Work

Couples come in every week for therapy. Many come in with expectations of gaining insight, some are dragged in by their spouses, and some come in out of frustration and wanting out of a bad marriage. The reasons that bring people in are not as important as the couple’s attitude. If couples see their marriage as a work in progress and come to therapy to work past difficulties, they usually will be successful. Therapy is expensive and can be a waste of time. It can also be the single best thing you ever did for your relationship. When a marriage or a person is in psychological distress, the friend with the best intentions will usually say, “Why don’t you go see a therapist?” The friend is saying this because they love their friend, and they don’t know what else to say or advise their friend to do. There are times when a couple should not go to therapy; sometimes therapy may be counterproductive, putting the couple in financial distress and deeper frustration that nothing is going to change.

If you are experiencing any of these, therapy may be a greater strain than beneficial:

1.   If you are only going to therapy to say you did it. A spouse who already has a new significant other and wants to ease their guilt by saying they went to therapy should save their money.  They will need it in court.

2.    Couples who are trying to fool the therapist. If you pay therapists to listen to your story, but the story isn’t true, I am not sure who is wasting their time more.

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3.    If you or your partner hates the therapist, it may make you less successful with therapy. Keep shopping until you find one you both are comfortable with and respect.

4.    If you go to therapy and engage, but don’t do your assignments, you won’t be successful long term. The assignments are part of the process.  It leads to better understanding of yourself and your partner.
 
5.    If you don’t prioritize the therapy and schedule it in to your life, then you will miss appointments. We choose what is valuable by our actions. You are telling your spouse and therapist that this isn’t important. Why continue to waste your money?

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6.    If you are inflexible with your thinking and unwilling to make changes, you are wasting your money with therapy. Therapy is all about changing one’s self. If you think you are perfect and don’t need to make changes, then therapy most likely will not be effective.

7.    If you don’t believe in therapy or you think its voodoo, most likely it will not work for you. Couples must embrace the therapy and believe it will help them restore communication.

8.    If you have a girlfriend or boyfriend and are in marital therapy with your spouse, get rid of the girlfriend/boyfriend first. Otherwise therapy will not be successful.

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9.    If you go to therapy, but let your spouse do all the talking, therapy most likely will not be successful. The therapist needs to hear from both of you about how you feel. If you have difficulty expressing yourself with words, ask the therapist if you can write what you want to say. The therapist wants to help you communicate. They don’t care if you talk, write, or act out your emotions.

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10.  If you have great difficulty laughing at yourself, therapy is going to be very difficult. You may still be successful, but it won’t be as enjoyable.
Therapy is one of the greatest opportunities a couple can venture into. It offers an atmosphere of complete honesty, confidentiality, and openness. Where else can you go and talk candidly about you as a couple and get objective guidance? Just remember therapists cannot read your mind. When a therapist joins your marriage team, you should feel supported enough to take risks.  You should be able to be totally open and honest with your partner with the intention of creating the best marriage possible.

From yahoo.com

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Caring for each client with customized interventions focused on maintaining and improving functional outcomes is always the ultimate goal of every service.   Worthy Consults is responsive to the culture of your business, including your unique situational and event features.  We are able to deliver quality services onsite in challenging or remote settings .  We are pleased to honor your specific needs for operational security, including any physical, historical, informational or political  sensitivites.  Your requirements become our primary guidelines for crafting services that will meet your needs most effectively.  Preventative interventions geared toward minimizing long term mental distress after an incident and functionally improved outcomes for your management and staff is our goal.   You can obtain clinically informed consultation anyplace, any time, with complete confidentiality, including services for companies with employees working OCONUS.