Content medically reviewed by Vicky Magobet, PMHNP-BC, on October 1, 2021.
Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing therapy, otherwise known as EMDR, is a therapeutic technique that helps people process specific traumatic events.
If you're considering taking on EDMR therapy, you may have questions relating to how EMDR works, what to expect from and after an EMDR session and whether EMDR causes side effects. Diamond House Detox wants to answer some of these questions and put your mind at ease.
EMDR therapy is split into eight stages of treatment:
During EMDR treatment, a therapist will ask you to recall traumatic experiences while directing you to move your eyes back and forth. The eye-moving process mimics eye movement that happens during REM sleep, the time when our brain is operating at its most optimal level. The eventual goal of EMDR therapy is to desensitize you to the traumatic event through exposure so it becomes part of your regular memories.
At your first EMDR session, a few things will happen:
After your EMDR session, you should expect to feel some tenseness or anxiety. However, these feelings should fade with time as you work through the eight steps of EMDR therapy.
Despite causing initial feelings of uneasiness, EMDR can work for you. EMDR therapy aids the way our brain already works and speeds up the process. Statistically, EMDR has some of the most compelling evidence of success compared to other therapies. Although there's no timeline for this treatment, some people report receiving positive results through EMDR within just three sessions.
Diamond House Detox offers dynamic treatment options for every clients' needs. The therapists in our Sacramento recovery center are ready to assist you in EMDR therapy and other treatments you might need as you work through your recovery. Contact us today for more information about our detox treatments.
