HOW EMDR WAS DISCOVERED:  Francine Shapiro, now an internationally know and respected clinician, discovered in 1989 that while significant stress, rapid eye movements seemed to cause the stress to lessen significantly. She studies the phenomena in her doctoral work and eventually developed a systematic therapeutic process that has proven effective in impressive numbers of counseling clients.

WHO USES THE TECHNIQUE:  Therapist from different fields such as psychology, social work, and counseling receive additional intensive training through the EMDRIA Institute. Some therapist use it all the time and others may use it occasionally when they feel the client has a specific trauma or concern that EMDR would benefit. The ideal use of EMDR is for an already trained and experienced therapist to incorporate it into his /her practice. It is used around the world for problems people have with trauma, grief and loss, anxiety, phobias, substance abuse, and other stress producing states. It has been effective in disasters such as wars, 9/11 and the Oklahoma bombing.

HOW DOES EMDR WORK:  In the last 15 years, brain research has told us a great deal about how the brain processes information. As we move through life from childhood to adulthood, information flows through our neural networks and then gets processed and filed away as short or long-term memories.

Trauma, and even just everyday bad experience, can interrupt that process causing some information to set stuck in the nervous system. It may never get processed adequately or it may get processed incorrectly using bits and pieces of memory without the benefit of very crucial information. This then causes situations in our lives in which we just can't seem to "get over it" or else we are operating under mistaken assumptions and information.

The brain is bi-lateral, and is divided into sections where information is moved and processed. The eye movements, tapping or other bi-lateral stimulation, along with the processing of a stressful memory, seems to help the brain and neural networks that need to be unstuck. It zero's in on situations that need to be cleared, resolved and desensitized.

The body and the brain know exactly what they need. If the client feels safe enough in the counseling environment, progress will be made at her/his own pace. The process places the client in an "observer" role, as if watching the events from a passing train. The impact of these events that still affect present day functioning seems to intensify within the sessions, all the while observing from the "train", and then lessons as the processing continues. The therapist?s role is to facilitate, not to advise or suggest, and to provide a sense of safety and comfort during the process.

WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS TO THE CLIENT:  Clients often find that following a series of EMDR sessions, they have better concentration, more assertiveness, more patience and/or increased sense of confidence. Everyone's pace at healing differs. Some may see results very quickly and others may need to be more cautious and move gradually to a more settled state. There is no right pace or method of progress. It is often very encouraging for the client to experience his/her outlook shifting, even slightly, about the past, present and future.

WHAT ARE THE POSSIBLE SIDE EFFECTS OR DOWNSIDES:  While the client is engaged in the weekly work of EMDR there may be some disturbance of sleep and some mood variability. It does not always present a problem to everyone. It indicates that the client is doing important work and memories and issues are becoming accessible and amenable to some form of resolution.

USE OF ALCOHOL OR RECREATIONAL DRUGS:  These could interfere at the neurochemical level and prevent the client's achieving their desired outcomes in treatment.