EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) therapy is a mental health treatment technique that aims to help individuals heal from trauma or other distressing life experiences. Here is what experiencing EMDR therapy is like, based on the search results:
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Overview: After the therapist and client agree that EMDR therapy is a good fit, the beginning sessions will involve discussing what the client wants to work on and improving their ability to manage distress. EMDR therapy involves eight distinct phases, and the intensity and duration of each phase depend on each unique patient and how well they respond to the therapy.
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Procedure: During EMDR therapy, the client will be asked to focus on a specific event, and attention will be given to a negative image, belief, emotion, and body feeling related to this event, and then to a positive belief indicating the issue was resolved. Eye movements (or other bilateral stimulation) are used during one part of the session, and the client is asked to use their eyes to track the therapists hand as it moves back and forth across their field of vision.
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Effectiveness: EMDR therapy has been shown to be effective in treating a variety of emotional symptoms of trauma, such as depression, grief, anxiety, panic attacks, phobias/fears, poor self-esteem, sleep disruption, and PTSD. It tends to work faster than other forms of therapy, involves less homework, and is usually less stressful.
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Duration: A typical EMDR therapy session lasts from 60-90 minutes, and it could take one or several sessions to process one traumatic experience. The amount of time it will take to complete EMDR treatment for traumatic experiences will depend upon the clients history.
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Drawbacks: EMDR therapy only works with conditions related to traumatic experiences and may not be appropriate for everyone. It is not appropriate for individuals with certain mental health disorders or who are actively engaged in self-harming behaviors.
Overall, EMDR therapy is a structured therapy that encourages the patient to focus briefly on the trauma memory while simultaneously experiencing bilateral stimulation. It is designed to resolve unprocessed traumatic memories in the brain and can be completed in fewer sessions than other psychotherapies.
