Moving your eyes to heal your mind? It seems so simple in practice, but this technique involves a very precise and complex process called EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing). This method works based on various factors related to the patient or the context. Used correctly, it offers astonishing results but raises many questions: How does it work? Who is it for? Emmanuelle Gontier, a freelance occupational psychologist and specialist in this technique, explains.
What is the EMDR method?
Discovered by chance in 1987 by Francine Shapiro, an American psychologist, EMDR is a psychotherapy technique based on alternating sensory stimulation (most often ocular, but it can also be auditory or tactile).
The initials EMDR stand for Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing: desensitization and reprogramming of traumatic memories through eye movements. The issues are considered to be based on unprocessed memories, stored at the physical level, which influence current thoughts, emotions, and behaviors.
The basic idea is that there is an innate system that processes information—adaptive information processing (AIP)—but that it is blocked by a traumatic event or chronic stressors. The EMDR protocol and eye movements allow the information processing system to resume its function and process information toward an adaptive solution, resulting in a rebalancing of emotions, thoughts, and physiology.
EMDR therapy is a comprehensive and integrative therapeutic approach (like psychodynamic therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy, etc.) guided by a model of information processing and memory reconsolidation. It has been recommended by the French National Authority for Health (since 2007) for the treatment of psychological trauma.
EMDR method: in which cases is it used?
EMDR therapy is used to treat difficult life events that contribute to the condition. It is indicated for the treatment of intense traumatic events that have led to the development of PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder), such as an attack, war, assault, traumatic bereavement, or natural disaster. Situations of harassment at work can cause PTSD and find relief through EMDR treatment. It can also be effective in cases of depression, anxiety, and interpersonal problems. It can also help with sexual difficulties, relieve chronic physical pain, and address the psychological consequences of cardiovascular disease or cancer. More generally, it is recommended for learning how to manage stress and related symptoms.
How does an EMDR session work?
The possible diagnoses require different and often personalized EMDR therapy procedures and protocols. Nevertheless, all approaches integrate three time frames: past, present, and future. Alternating bilateral stimulation during dual attention (eye movements, tapping, acoustic stimulation) is just one of the many elements of EMDR therapy.
A targeting plan is drawn up to identify all the elements to be addressed: behaviors, emotions, physical sensations, sensory triggers, etc. This treatment consists of eight distinct phases: the patient's history, preparation, assessment, desensitization, installation (reprogramming), body scan (defining the coherence of cognitions and sensations), closure, and reassessment.
Generally, a session lasts between 60 and 90 minutes, but sessions prior to EMDR are essential to develop trust and a therapeutic alliance between the patient and the practitioner.
EMDR method: how does the process work psychologically and physically?
Several studies have shown that eye movements have an effect on certain physiological parameters, such as a decrease in heart rate (the most striking study). In addition, one of the scientific avenues of research involves the analysis of REM sleep. A parallel has been drawn between what happens during this phase of sleep, particularly in terms of rapid eye movements. Indeed, the role of dreams in this REM sleep phase is to process and psychologically digest real-life experiences. By reproducing eye movements outside of sleep and inducing a state of relaxation, we can envisage an adaptive reprocessing of memories, similar to the "nocturnal" processing of information.
Can you give us some examples?
As a member of the Paris SAMU medical and psychological emergency unit, I am called upon to care for victims of traumatic events. There are multiple EMDR emergency protocols, both group and individual. They are applied within 2-3 days of the event and are effective as long as the event has not been consolidated. They work on all fragments of the event and can be adapted to any type of population (adults, children). It is a tool for preventing the onset of PTSD, administered by professionals trained in EMDR therapy, and we know how important early intervention is in terms of prevention.
