About EMDR

EMDR is a treatment protocol that was developed by Francine Shapiro, Ph. D. in 1989. It has been used in the successful treatment of psychological trauma. It has also been used to treat other conditions including substance abuse, eating disorders and has been used for the treatment of substance abuse and for performance anxiety.  I received my training and certification from Dr. Shapiro in 2005.  

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When a traumatic or very upsetting event happens, strong negative feelings can interfere with information processing. This hinders the process of the formation of an adaptive memory of the event having happened in the past. Fragmented aspects of the memory remain as live “triggers” which when activated may bring feelings of distress and other memories of the trauma and make one feel like they are re-experiencing the same trauma in the present.

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For example, a person who had been raped by a stranger finds themself pulling back from the gentle affection of a loving partner because the physical contact triggers an association to the past trauma. The memory of the trauma is dysfunctionally stored without appropriate associative connections and with many elements still unprocessed. Other reactions might include intrusive thoughts, emotional disturbance, and negative self-referencing beliefs as in post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

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It is not just major traumatic events, or “large-T traumas” that may cause psychological disturbance. Often times, a seemingly minor event from childhood, such as being teased by peers or disparaged by a parent might not be adequately processed. Such “small-t traumas” can result in personality problems and be the source of current dysfunctional reactions. EMDR can assist to successfully eliminate clinical complaints by processing the components of the contributing distressing memories.

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Shapiro, F., (1995). Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing: basic principles, protocols and procedures (1st edition). New York: Guilford Press.

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Shapiro, F. & Max eld, L. (2002). EMDR: Information processing in the treat- ment of trauma, Journal of Clinical Psychology, 58, 933-946. Special Issue: Treatment of PTSD.

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van der Kolk, B.A. (2002). Beyond the talking cure: Somatic experience and subcortical imprints in the treatment of trauma. In F. Shapiro (Ed.), EMDR as an integrative treatment approach: Experts of diverse orientations explore the paradigm prism, Washington, D.C.: American Psychological Association. Books.

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Siegel, D. (2002). The Developing Mind and the Resolution of Trauma: Some Ideas About Information Processing and an Interpersonal Neurobiology of Psychotherapy. In F. Shapiro (Ed.), EMDR as an integrative treatment approach: Experts of diverse orientations explore the paradigm prism, Washington, D.C.: American Psychological Association Books.