11/4/2017 Answering your questions about EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing)- by Robert Salvatore, LCSW

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AnsweringyourquestionsaboutEMDR(EyeMovement
DesensitizationandReprocessing)byRobertSalvatore,LCSW
AnsweringYourQuestionsAboutEMDR,byRobertSalvatore,LCSW

APowerfulTreatmenttoHelpYouOvercomePsychologicalDistress

HowDoesEMDRWork?

Studieshaveshownthatwhenapersonisveryupset,thebrainsnormalprocessingofinformationchanges.Atraumatic
eventmaycausethememorytobecome"stuckorfrozen"inyourmind.Rememberingthetraumamayfeelasbadasgoing
throughitthefirsttime.Theimages,sounds,smells,andfeelingsmayfeeltooreal.Forsomepeople,thesememoriescan
havealastingnegativeeffect,interferingwiththeways/heseestheworldortheways/herelatestootherpeople.

Nooneknowsexactlyhowanyformofpsychotherapyworks.EMDRappearstobesimilartowhatoccursnaturallyduring
dreamingorREM(rapideyemovement)sleep.EMDRseemstohaveadirecteffectonthewaythatthebrainprocesses
information,restoringthebrainsnormalinformationprocessing.

AfterasuccessfulEMDRsession,youwillnolongerrelivetheimages,sounds,andfeelingswhentheeventisbroughttomind.
Youstillrememberwhathappened,butitislessupsetting.Therefore,EMDRcanbethoughtofasaphysiologicallybased
therapythatcanhelpyouseedisturbingmaterialinanewandlessdistressingway.

WhatHappensDuringEMDR?

First,thetherapistworkswithyoutoidentifyaspecificproblemormemoryasthefocusofthetreatmentsession.Youwill
beaskedtorememberthedisturbingissueoreventwhatwasseen,felt,heard,thought,etc.Youwillalsobeaskedwhat
thoughtsandbeliefsyoucurrentlyholdaboutthatevent.

Then,whileyoufocusonthedisturbingmaterialorimages,yourtherapistwillhelpyoutobilaterallystimulateyourbrain
usingyourvision(eyemovements),touch(tapping)and/orhearing(specialrecordings).Younoteandtellthetherapistabout
whatevercomestomind,withoutmakinganyefforttocontroldirectionorcontent.

Setsofstimulationarecontinueduntilthememorydiesorbecomeslessdisturbing.Additionalsetsaredoneuntilthememory
isassociatedwithpositivethoughtsandbeliefsaboutone'sselfforexample,"IdidthebestIcould."

WhileyoumayexperienceintenseemotionsduringEMDR,bytheendofthesession,mostpeoplereportagreatreductionin
thelevelofdisturbance.

HowLongDoesEMDRTake?

OneormoreintakesessionsarerequiredtodecideifEMDRistherighttreatmentforyou.Yourtherapistwilldiscuss
EMDRmorefullyandgiveyouanopportunitytoaskquestions.TheactualEMDRtherapystartsonceyouandyour
therapistagreethatEMDRisappropriateforyourspecificproblem(s).

Eachpersonprocessesinformationuniquely,basedontheirownpersonalexperiencesandvalues.AtypicalEMDR
sessionlastsbetween30to90minutes.Thetypeofproblem,lifecircumstances,andtheextentofprevioustraumawill
determinehowmanytreatmentsessionsarerequired.EMDRisfrequentlyusedwithinstandard"talk"therapy.EMDR
canusedifyouaretakingpsychotropicmedications.

DoesEMDRReallyWork?

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11/4/2017 Answering your questions about EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing)- by Robert Salvatore, LCSW

Todate,EMDRhashelpedanestimatedtwomillionpeopleofallagesrelievemanytypesofpsychologicaldistress.Research
hasalsoshownthatEMDRcanbeanefficientandrapidtreatment.Approximately20controlledstudieshaveinvestigatedthe
effectsofEMDR.ThesestudieshaveconsistentlyshownthatEMDReffectivelydecreases/eliminatesthesymptomsofpost
traumaticstressforthemajorityofclients.Clientsoftenreportimprovementinotherassociatedsymptomssuchasanxiety.

ThecurrenttreatmentguidelinesoftheInternationalSocietyforTraumaticStressStudiesdesignateEMDRasaneffective
treatmentforposttraumaticstress,ashavethe,DepartmentofVeteransAffairsandDepartmentofDefense,theUnited
KingdomDepartmentofHealth,theIsraeliNationalCouncilforMentalHealth,andmanyotherinternationalhealthand
governmentalagencies.

WhatProblemsCanEMDRHelp?

ScientificresearchdemonstratesthatEMDRisaneffectivetreatmentforrelievingposttraumaticstress.Inaddition,
EMDRcanbeapowerfultherapyforconditionssuchas:

panicattacks
eatingdisorders
performanceanxiety
complicatedgrief
stressreduction
dissociativedisorders
addictions
disturbingmemories
sexualand/orphysicalabuse
phobias
bodydysmorphicdisorders
paindisorders
personalitydisorders
emotionalabuse

WillMyInsuranceCoverEMDR?

IfyourpolicycoversstandardpsychotherapyitmostlikelywillcoverEMDR,butitisimportanttocheckwithyour
insurancecarrierpriortoreceivingEMDRtreatment.

WhoDoesEMDRInNH?
SeveraltherapistsatLaMoraPsychologicalAssociatesinNashuaandBedfordaretrainedtoprovideEMDR:
RobertSalvatore,LCSW,since1992

LynneRandall,LCSW,since1997

CharleneCurtis,LCSW,since2005

DeborahSolomon,PsyD,since2005

Qualifiedtherapistsinothercommunities,furtherreferences,andabibliographyofresearchmaybefoundthroughtheEMDR
InternationalAssociation'swebsite:

www.emdria.org

Formoreinformationortoscheduleandappointment,call:

LaMoraPsychologicalAssociates,PA

WithconvienientlylocatedofficesinNashuaandBedford,NewHampshire

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11/4/2017 Answering your questions about EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing)- by Robert Salvatore, LCSW

Telephone:6038898648

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