What Is EMDR Therapy?

EMDR, or Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing, is a form of therapy that uses a body-based understanding of rapid eye movement or audio stimulation to reduce the negative impact that anxiety, depression, or trauma can have on an individual. It promotes healing in those who are experiencing emotional distress as a result of a disturbing life experience. And while EMDR is a somewhat nontraditional form of therapy, it is one of the leading modalities used by therapists and counselors today. 

Developed by Dr. Francine Shapiro in the 1980s, EMDR was the result of Shapiro’s efforts to help reduce stress in her clients. One of her students, Deborah Kennard, went on to develop Somatic and Attachment Focused (S.A.F.E.) EMDR, building on Shapiro’s model, and used it to address some of the hurdles counselors faced while providing therapy for patients who had experienced complex trauma. In maintaining a deeper understanding of somatic (body-based) and attachment theories, Kennard was successful in expanding the EMDR treatment to incorporate elements of mindfulness and attachment theory. 

Using the foundational principles of the mind-body connection and early attachment, S.A.F.E. EMDR allows clients to better understand the body’s responses to triggering situations. Instead of delving into trauma or uncomfortable feelings at the outset of treatment, S.A.F.E. EMDR relies on the client’s strengths in order to identify the blockages that are keeping them from making progress or achieving goals. Being what is described as a “nonviolent” method, therapists using S.A.F.E. EMDR don’t force any degree of information out of their client and instead focus on what the client is thinking and experiencing during session. 

While trauma was the foundational premise for Shapiro and Kennard’s work, EMDR can help you to address any situation or circumstance that is preventing you from moving forward. From depression to anxiety, phobia to addiction, and insomnia to chronic pain, the S.A.F.E. approach to EMDR has the potential for transforming your life by reducing daily disruptions caused by stress. 

How Does The S.A.F.E. Approach to EMDR Work?

Every person undergoes distressing situations or traumatic experiences. Regardless of the severity of the situation’s consequences, we naturally develop mechanisms to help us cope with feelings of discomfort. 

The main point of EMDR, in general, is to recognize how our bodies are responding to stress in ways that are no longer serving a purpose. For example, as children, we may have learned to protect ourselves from disturbing situations by developing defense mechanisms to make us feel more at ease or in control. However, the same mechanisms that helped us feel safe as children might translate to have more negative impacts on us as adults. Thus, we will have to relearn how to react to distress as we age and find that our old coping mechanisms are no longer serving us. 

My goal as a therapist is to make you feel as safe and comfortable as possible. I believe each client is unique and thus will require their own unique solution and therapist-client relationship. As a bottom-up modality, S.A.F.E. EMDR first gets to the root of the issue and then builds up to a solution, helping you to find long-term relief instead of a temporary fix for pesky symptoms. In getting to the “why”, your body will naturally develop more awareness of itself and its surroundings, allowing you to find more peace and clarity. By reducing deposits of stress and anxiety in your nervous system, you will set yourself up for success and clear blockages that are keeping you from living the happy and fulfilled life that you deserve. 

As a multi-phase process, the length of EMDR treatment will vary from client to client. However, given the nature of the S.A.F.E. approach to EMDR therapy, clients have the potential to get to the root of the issue in a matter of sessions, whereas traditional talk therapy might take months or years. 

Using Kennard’s “4 Es,” I begin treatment with exploration, helping you to identify your strengths and the areas of life where you are either over- or under-developed. From there, we will expand on those areas while beginning to engage the body and mindfulness techniques for calming the nervous system. This will naturally move into the experimental phase, where we will start to observe the patterns taking place inside of the body and focus on present reactions to your environment. We will then expand again and locate areas of new information or insight. In repeating this pattern, you will become more attuned to the wisdom of the body and start to heal long-held wounds by reducing the control that stress has over us.   

How Do I Know That S.A.F.E. EMDR Therapy Is Effective?

What began as a career opportunity quickly escalated into a transformative personal philosophy. After seeking out instruction on EMDR in hopes of expanding my practice in 2019, I happened upon a S.A.F.E. training at The Personal Transformation Institute, run by Deborah Kennard herself. During this training, we had the opportunity to enrich ourselves not only professionally, but also personally as we were encouraged to practice the S.A.F.E. methods ourselves. Over the 40-hour training period, I developed a solid therapeutic skill set to use in my practice and experienced the benefits of S.A.F.E. EMDR firsthand. 

Now officially certified through the EMDR International Association (EMDRIA), I look forward to helping my clients see the potential for healing using this modality. Though I have worked as a therapist for over five years, I now solely identify as an EMDR provider and will soon begin the process of training other counselors and mental health practitioners in the S.A.F.E. approach. I can say with confidence that EMDR has transformed me both personally and professionally, and that my life has greatly improved as a result of integrating S.A.F.E. EMDR into my career. I sleep better, I feel distressed less often, and I can provide better service to my clients and community at large. 

The idea of rapid eye movement therapy may strike you as unusual or slightly intimidating, but that is because so few therapeutic modalities exist that truly acknowledge the mind-body connection. As more and more research validates the efficacy of EMDR, it is quickly becoming the world’s most sought-out somatic therapy. 

Studies have shown that this approach has had tremendous outcomes for 80 to 90 percent of individuals who struggle with acute distress or single-event trauma. And EMDR is widely considered to provide a more lasting, sustainable reduction of symptoms when compared to treatment using Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT). I can attest to S.A.F.E.’s value both personally and professionally as a scientific, body-based modality and as the key to unlocking a happy and healed life full of tremendous potential.

You Can Feel Free Of Stress And S.A.F.E. Again! 

If you struggle with daily stressors, symptoms of discomfort, or unresolved trauma, the S.A.F.E. approach to EMDR therapy can help you find sustained relief. To schedule an appointment with me, email jenasternberglpc@gmail.com or call (214) 534-7568 today!