Posted by memoryleaves on December 5, 2004, at 12:45:25
In reply to hey, posted by alexandra_k on December 5, 2004, at 2:09:57
Well, there's a bunch of preparatory sessions to see exactly where you're at, to find out points on which to focus treatment, and you're screened for dissociation. You're also taught self-soothing activities and imagery for containment and safe place/secure home base etc.
During an actual EMDR session you sit facing your therapist, only he is more to the right of you. Usually we'll start off having a chat about what went on between sessions, such as what my nightmares were about, flashbacks, certain triggers that caused distress or dissociation, medication, sleep, and any connections or insights regarding the processing of previous sessions. They say the processing doesn't stop when the session ends, and for me that's been very true.
Then we'll either go with a certain memory from our preparatory sessions or with one that's come up between sessions. Usually in my case it's one that's come up between sessions. He'll ask me to hold the memory in my mind and he'll ask me if/where I feel it in my body and how it makes me feel on an emotional and intellectual level. I'll tell him something like, "I'm powerless", or "I'm so afraid", and "my stomach is burning". Then he'll ask me what I'd prefer to feel to which I'd respond something like, "I'm in control", and "I'm strong." There are two different scales he goes by, one is a 0-10 and the other is 0-7, something like that. Then we'll do some sets of eye movements where he holds two fingers together and moves them from side to side for me to follow with my eyes only. They call it bilateral stimulation which can also been done without eye movements, such as by knee tapping, or alternating sounds. In between eye movements he'll ask me what's happening and I'll tell him and we'll focus on what's come up and do more eye movements until the memory is processed. Then he'll ask me the same questions he asked previously and scale the answers again. Usually the scores have gone down significantly, but not always, in which case there's more work to be done on that memory.
Usually after a session I feel physically wiped out, even finding it hard to walk at first, but usually I feel much lighter emotionally--a real sense of relief. All I want to do when I get home is snuggle on the couch and do no brainer stuff like fall in and out of sleep watching TV. It's a real peaceful feeling where you can shut out the world and not feel bad about it. I always like to think in those moments that my body and soul are healing and I have to let them have what they need.
There's something like 8 phases to the whole process so I won't be able to explain all of it, but I hope what I wrote gives you a bit of an idea of how EMDR works.Are you looking into EMDR for yourself?
poster:memoryleaves
thread:423909
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/newbs/20040812/msgs/424745.html