What to expect in emdr therapy in North richland hills, tx

Authors: Kaylee Criswell and Jorge Garcia

When you choose to begin Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) with your therapist, using bilateral stimulation to reprocess distressing experiences is only one stage of the 8 phases of EMDR. Get to know the rest of the stages to get more familiar with EMDR therapy, and know what to expect when you begin! 

Stage 1: Client History and Treatment Planning

This phase, focused on history taking and the development of a treatment plan, ensures that you and your therapist have a shared understanding of the specific problem that brings you to therapy, and the extent of the concerns related to that problem. You and your therapist will develop a treatment plan that defines targeted memories on which to use EMDR so that you get the most out of your experience in therapy.

Your EMDR therapist will ask you everything from goals of therapy to family of origin dynamics, current relationship status, religious orientation, previous therapy experiences, work dynamics, etc. This phase can be quite thorough to ensure that a comprehensive understanding of your life and the themes to be worked on in EMDR is established.  Here are some questions you may hear asked by your EMDR Therapist:

• How do you currently self-soothe? 

• When did your symptoms start and what else was happening at that time?  

• What would happen if therapy is successful? Would there be a downside? 

• What events in your past do you remember that also made you call yourself worthless?

Stage 2: Preparation

Stage 2 emphasizes the importance of having a strongly developed therapeutic alliance. Processing trauma or similar concerns requires a level of safety with the therapist, and an ability to tell the truth during processing, regardless of how difficult it may be to do so. For some clients, this can take a session or two, while for others, the preparation stage can take months (Shapiro, 2018). “Truth-telling” in EMDR is of the utmost importance. For some clients, it may be a temptation to underreport trauma symptoms in order to please the therapist, or to “do it right”. This can undermine the process of EMDR, and result in the client not getting the most out of the therapeutic experience. 

In stage 2, your therapist will also explain the process of EMDR, test eye movements to help you become familiar with bilateral stimulation and to develop tools to help manage emotional disturbances that can occur during and after processing. These relaxation and grounding skills can be essential to navigate through the distressing material as processing is occurring. A guided meditation-type activity called Safe/Calm Place is one of the self-soothing tools you and your therapist will develop in stage 2, which can be used to help relax and cope with stress both in and out of sessions (Shapiro, 2018). 

Stage 3: Assessment

Once you have the appropriate tools to begin processing, you’re ready to move on to stage 3. Together, you and your therapist will determine the memory to be processed based on your treatment plan. Once identified, your therapist will take you through activating the memory by asking questions related to images, emotions, thoughts, and body sensations related to the memory. The therapist will also ask questions that help your therapist measure progress through the memory, such as how disturbing the memory feels on a scale of 0 (no disturbance) to 10 (worst disturbance). Once done, you’re ready to move on to stage 4. 

Stage 4: Desensitization

During stage 4, your therapist will use bilateral stimulation or eye movements in order to activate the AIP system (described here[hyperlink to services page])to connect to the activated memory from stage 3. While this is occurring, your brain is processing this event to change the way the memory and associated information is stored in the brain. While some things that come up might seem “random” or “unrelated”, the memories that do come up during each set of eye movements are not only related but also relevant in the pursuit of gaining new insights to help you move forward. Trusting your brain to make these random-seeming connections can actually help you feel better about many different situations at the same time.

Some of the questions in stage 3 help your therapist know when your memory is completely processed, which results in no disturbance in thoughts, feelings, body sensations, or beliefs about yourself once a memory is resolved.  

Stage 5: Installation

During stage 3, your therapist will explore the negative belief about yourself that was connected to your distressing experience. During an overwhelming distressing experience, you may have developed the belief “I am powerless” that continues to be activated whenever you get stressed. During stage 4, you’ll have reprocessed the intense feelings related to that event, and realize that you now have strength and choices that might not have been there during the event. In stage 5, the positive belief about yourself identified in stage 3 will be strengthened and “installed”, so that in situations in which you get stressed, you’re now able to have beliefs like “I have choices now” that help you take helpful action even when under stress. The goal of this stage is to help your brain accept the full truth of the positive self-statement that feels true to you and the situation once you’ve processed it. 

Stage 6: Body Scan

After the previous stages, the body scan is a helpful tool that emphasizes the mind-body connection. EMDR strives to be comprehensive in its treatment approach, and while your thoughts and feelings may be better, a body scan is used to ensure that any tension in your body related to the event is dissipated. Bringing our brain and our body on the same page can help ensure a deeper sense of healing. Think of the body scan as a final check to ensure that the target has finally been put to rest not only intellectually, but physically as well.

Stage 7: Closure

Stage 7 can depend on what occurs in the session. At times an entire memory can be moved through stages 3-7 in one session. In many cases, however, the processing can take a bit longer and be broken up across various sessions to effectively reach full resolution. In the closure stage, regardless of if processing is completed or not, your therapist will work with you to find a good stopping point, and prompt you to use the self-soothing skills you’ve learned to regain a sense of equilibrium to leave the session feeling calm. Your therapist will also discuss what to expect between sessions, as your brain is likely to continue to work between sessions. 

Stage 8: Reevaluation

Phase 8 opens every new session after the 1st session of EMDR reprocessing in order to determine progress through the EMDR treatment plan, and to guide the next steps in selecting targets, ensuring that the past, present, and future elements of each distressing memory are fully explored to resolution.  

Now that you know what to expect in a session, give us a call, and we can help answer any other questions about the process of EMDR. We would love to support you on your road to healing by getting you set up for your first session.

Discover the Healing Journey of EMDR Therapy at Luxx Therapy in North Richland Hills, TX

Embarking on Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) therapy is a significant step towards healing and understanding oneself. At Luxx Therapy in North Richland Hills, TX, we guide you through the intricate 8-phase journey of EMDR, ensuring a comprehensive approach to reprocessing your distressing experiences. From the initial phase of understanding your history and treatment planning to the final stages of closure and reevaluation, our therapy process is designed to provide a deep and transformative experience. As you navigate through each stage, including the crucial process of bilateral stimulation, you’ll gain new insights, release old burdens, and establish positive beliefs about yourself. Our skilled therapists are committed to creating a safe, supportive environment where you can explore and resolve the challenges you face. Take the first step in your journey towards recovery and empowerment. Contact Luxx Therapy today and embark on a path that leads to healing and a renewed sense of self.

• Get to know our skilled team of therapists here.

• Fill out our convenient online contact form here.

• Rediscover purpose and meaning in your life.

OTHER MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES AVAILABLE AT LUXX THERAPY

In addition to EMDR Therapy, we offer a wide range of services at Luxx Therapy geared towards meeting you where you are in your mental health journey including Therapy for Anxiety, Therapy for Depression, Trauma Therapy and Couples Therapy. We will walk the path to understanding and healing with you whether you are in need of Individual Counseling, Couples Counseling, or Family Therapy! Reach out to us today.