Establishing a Therapeutic Relationship and History taking:
EMDR therapy begins with a supportive initial phase, where you discuss your history, identify treatment targets, and develop coping strategies to ensure emotional stability.
Preparation Phase:
The therapist will guide you through exercises to prepare for EMDR, including relaxation techniques and grounding strategies, to ensure you feel safe and manage any emotional distress during sessions.
Identifying Target Memories:
During EMDR sessions, you and your therapist will target distressing memories or experiences, often related to past traumatic events or negative self-perceptions, contributing to emotional difficulties.
Bilateral Stimulation:
EMDR sessions involve bilateral stimulation, such as eye movements, taps, or sounds, to focus on the target memory or belief, facilitating the reprocessing of traumatic memories and adaptive information integration.
Dual Awareness:
The therapist helps the client maintain dual awareness during bilateral stimulation, focusing on distressing memories or beliefs while maintaining distance from traumatic material, allowing for efficient memory processing without overwhelming the client.
Processing and Integration:
EMDR sessions involve observing and processing sensations, emotions, and thoughts related to target memory, allowing them to emerge naturally without judgement to be processed.
