Eye movement desensitisation therapy

What is it?
Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing (EMDR) is a rapdily developing treatment method that is being applied to an increasingly wide range of clinical conditions.

The founder of the approach is Francine Shapiro. Shapiro claims that the discovery of EMDR was serrendipitous; she claims that she was out walking and was feeling upset when she noticed that if she induced rapid saccadic eye movements, this had an immediate calming effect that elminated her traumatic feelings. She expermimented with her discovery and developed a clinical technique that has aroused extensive interest around the world.

Initially, the technique was developed for the treatment of psychological trauma. However, the protocol has been developed over the past decade to deal with a wide variety of usually anxiety-based disorders.

Essentially the technique involves exposing the patient to his traumatic memories whilst simultaneously inducing rapid eye movements (by asking the patient to track an oscillating stimulus such as a finger or light). The patient is also required to hold in mind a cognitive statement about himself that is derived during the assessment process.

There is considerable debate and controversy regarding how and why EMDR works. When it is successful, the technique can eliminate the intrusive symptoms associated with psychological trauma within a session or two.

It should be noted that EMDR requires specialist training. This is available from the EMDR Institutewho offer courses around the world. It should also be noted that the technique can induce powerful emotional reactions. Thus, if it is applied without sufficient understanding and experience to a patient for whom the treatment is contraindicated, it can induce a psychotic reaction.