What is EMDR?
EMDR therapy (eye movement reprocessing and desensitization), developed in the United States in the 1980s, is a therapy used to treat disorders caused by stressful events such as post-traumatic stress disorder.
The goal of this therapy is to help people who have suffered abuse, physical or psychological violence, accidents or who suffer from depression, addictions, phobias or eating disorders. EMDR focuses on the memory of the traumatic experience experienced by the subject and is a comprehensive tool that uses eye movements to treat these disorders.
What does it consist of?
Studies have shown that after a traumatic event, the brain stops processing information normally and sensations and emotions cannot be integrated with other experiences. The trauma becomes fixed as information in the neural networks and cannot be processed, and continues to cause pathologies such as post-traumatic stress disorder. An EMDR session begins by listening to the patient’s story and recalling memories and feelings related to that moment.
Subsequently, the patient will have to follow the therapist’s fingers with his eyes. During this stimulation, the subject will be able to connect that memory to larger memory networks and integrate it into his or her past without suffering constant negative disturbances. This is possible thanks to the eye movements that activate the information processing mechanism, allowing the modification of the traumatic memory.
How long does EMDR treatment last?
Each EMDR session can last between 30 and 60 minutes. Treatment consists of a minimum of 1 to 3 sessions, up to a year or more for more complicated problems.