EMDR & ART

What is EMDR & ART?

EMDR stands for Eye-Movement Desensitization Reprocessing. In this therapy, the therapist works by helping the brain process negative images and sensations. They do this through something called bi-lateral stimulation (BLS), which is helping both sides of the brain "talk" to one another to work through things. The great thing is that this is a natural process your brain already uses during REM sleep! The therapist gets the brain to use it about past events and sensations.

ART stand for Accelerated Resolution Therapy. It's another form of bi-lateral stimulation therapy. Like EMDR it helps process difficult past events and sensations

How do these therapies work?

EMDR works with the processing of stored memories. Through the BLS, the brain learns to desensitize from the trauma responses and helps the individual be able to see the past scenario or sensation feeling less overwhelmed. In EMDR the client learns to identify negative thoughts about self and address those to change thought patterns about self.

ART was developed from EMDR and has very similar principles. It works mainly with minimizing distressing body sensations, and research has shown it works faster than EMDR. Clients work with BLS to process distressing images and replace them with pleasant ones. ART uses a lot of the same principles of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT).

The Set Up

Man going to therapy with female therapist

EMDR Tappers

During the session, there are multiple ways to do EMDR and ART. You can use it for both In Person therapy and Telehealth.

In Person:

When meeting with the therapist in office the main differences to use EMDR and ART is how you use the BLS. Those main ways are

Visual (seeing the back and forth movement)
Tactile (feeling a back and forth movement) and
Auditory (hearing a back and forth movement)

research has shown Tactile and Auditory BLS to be more effective

When using Tactile bi-lateral stimulation the therapist has the client hold tappers. These are small devices that you hold in each of your hands and they vibrate like a cell phone. They alternate vibrations so you have the sensation going from left to right hand consistently for the time you are processing.

Visual bi-lateral stimulation can be done in a few ways. Often the therapist will use their hand and do a back and forth motion for you to follow with your eyes. Sometimes the therapist will use a stick with a small ball up top for you to follow as they wave it back and forth at an even pace.

Lastly, with Auditory bi-lateral stimulation you will have headphones and a tone will alternate playing in the right and left headphone.

All of these modalities are used to correlate with the left and right side of your brain to process through the difficult issue you are working through.

Telehealth:

When working with clients through telehealth the therapist will have the client join a session on the Remote EMDR site. through this the client will decide what method (same as above) will be most effective.

A great benefit with EMDR/ART online is that we can use almost all of the same methods for BLS, with the exception of for Tactile the client will instead of using tapper tap their shoulders or legs alternating left-right.

Issues that ART & EMDR can help with:

EMDR and ART can help with a variety of issues.

Those include:

Traumatic Events/PTSD
Depression
Anxiety
Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
Nightmares
Somatic Symptoms (physical ailments of the body due to large emotions)
Sleeping Issues

Why do we like EMDR and ART?

"I have been using EMDR and ART for the majority of my clients for a few years now and I can see the differences it can make. When working with clients these therapies give them more tools, and the confidence they will be able to work through things. Just the confidence alone is priceless!"

-Hailey Maire, LCSW