EMDR and its many added Benefits
Developing mind/body awareness
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing, or EMDR, has become the gold standard treatment for PTSD and trauma, but has also proven effective in treating a range of conditions, from addiction to depression, anxiety and obsessive compulsion.
EMDR relies on bilateral brain stimulation to change how and where experiences and emotions are stored in the brain. The treatment involves the client focusing on a memory or emotion, while the therapist introduces bilateral eye movements, sounds or tapping that will stimulate both hemispheres of the brain.
The overwhelming evidence is that bilateral brain stimulation helps the client “reclassify” sensitive information from the overreactive, “fight or flight” part of the brain (amygdala) into the frontal cortex where “normal” experiences are stored. Exactly how and why this works so well is unclear.
But beyond the therapeutic effect, are the many added benefits that come from an overall increase in mindfulness and the mind-body connection. Allow me to explain. The EMDR treatment works at the level of mind/body connection: the client thinks of an experience (mind) and integrates a bilateral body movement such as eye movement or tapping (body). This is where the healing begins, at the intersection of mind and body.
Often to prepare for an EMDR session, we begin with a mind-body scan. This is a form of mindfulness training that is thousands of years old and is practiced in numerous Eastern religions and philosophical traditions such as Buddhism, yoga and Hinduism. The client sits quietly, in a relaxed position, eyes partially or entirely closed, and then mentally takes an “inventory,” bringing awareness to each part of the body, starting with the crown of the head and ending with the toes.
During the body scan, the client is asked to notice if there is any tension in a particular body part, and to release that tension with the exhale. The body scan creates a relaxed state with heightened awareness to what is actually happening in the body. This process can be repeated during the EMDR treatment if necessary, and also at the end of EMDR treatment as a way of bookending the process and ensuring calm.
Once a client has engaged in several sessions of EMDR treatment, they become quite adept at body scanning. The result is greater awareness of where difficult emotions may become lodged in the body. When we ignore our emotions, as we often do, we run the risk that they will turn into bigger problems with a physical component.
This is truly where the pot of gold for all of us lies: in becoming aware of our emotions and learning how to process them before they take up residence as physical ailments in our bodies. The opportunity here is to recognize the tightness in your stomach, for example, and knowing how to respond before you develop an ulcer or acid reflux.
Our bodies often know when we’re in trouble long before our minds are willing to admit it. It’s the proverbial “gut feeling” that we often ignore. Developing mindfulness and body awareness are two extremely valuable added benefits to EMDR treatment that carry long term physical and mental wellness benefits.