What was once thought of as a psychotherapy primarily useful for PTSD, throughout the last 30 years of clinical practice and research, EMDR therapy has been found to do much more for a wide range of diagnoses. While the beginning of EMDR found its main use focused on Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder this robust psychotherapy became used more widely with time and research.
Although a therapy used now for a variety of reasons compared to its original focus, some skepticism still exists because the results may seem too good to be true. But if you recognize that the body has many mechanisms that allow it to heal itself, it's not too far-fetched. Curt Rouanzoin, co-president of EMDR Professional Training explains the work of EMDR therapy this way:
"We have to recognize that the body is capable of healing itself. For example, when you suffer a cut on your arm, you may place a bandage on that cut to make sure there's no infection and that conditions are right for healing, but it's your own body that actually repairs itself and heals until, eventually, you can't even see where the cut was."
He goes on, "It is the same with the brain. When the conditions are right, the brain can, in fact, heal itself from past traumas. And that's where EMDR therapy comes in. It helps create the right conditions, so that the brain can do its work."
Thus, EMDR therapy has proven its effectiveness, viewing the client's situation differently than other traditional therapies have. Within the trauma-informed paradigm, for example, the use of the ACE study, clinical work and research has revealed much regarding symptomatology and implications for the uses of EMDR therapy.
Find out more about the effective uses of EMDR therapy in our EMDR Chat Podcast with Curt and Michelle, Episode #6 where Curt Rouanzoin and Michelle Gottlieb explain how EMDR therapy has expanded in its use and noted for its efficacy.
