EMDR Therapy—Modified Protocol, Attachment-Focused EMDR Therapy
What happens to the brain during trauma?
Did you know that, when you experience trauma, the right hemisphere of your brain freezes out the left hemisphere of your brain and stores fragments of physiological sensations, emotions, and sensory information in the right hemisphere? The left hemisphere is the part of our brain where we have our language functions and abilities to process things with words. The left hemisphere is also where we have a sense of time—a past, a present and a future, whereas everything is present tense for the right hemisphere.
How does this fragmentation affect me in my daily life?
Because of this fragmentation, as we go through our daily lives, sensory input like a sound or a smell, an emotion in an interaction with someone or in response to a situation, or a physiological sensation similar to what we experienced at the time of the trauma, pushes a button, so to speak, in the right hemisphere of our brain and then, our brain, nervous system and body react as if the trauma is occurring again in the present moment. And, because of the left hemisphere having been frozen out, we don’t have good access to words to describe or articulate what is happening for us, nor a clear understanding of whether our perception and experience in the present is based on what is happening in the present or whether it is based on what happened to us in the past. This is understandably INCREDIBLY distressing to experience. It can leave you feeling disoriented, confused, scared, overwhelmed, unsure of yourself, or like you’re going crazy.
If you have had one or more experiences like this, I want you to know, YOU ARE NOT ALONE and THERE IS HOPE. With Modified Protocol, Attachment-Focused EMDR therapy—in which I have been both trained and certified—we can integrate these fragments in your brain, nervous system and body into a complete whole to create healing and give you clarity and peace.
What is EMDR?
EMDR is an acronym for Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing therapy, which is a powerful and effective method of therapy for treating trauma. Trauma may be best be defined as “a psychological, emotional response to an event or an experience that is deeply distressing or disturbing” [1].
How does EMDR work and what is it used to address?
EMDR therapy incorporates eye movements or other forms of bilateral stimulation into an in-depth, comprehensive, mind-body approach to processing pieces of distressing experiences that are stuck in the mind and body—in a way that positively transforms the memory, physiological sensations, emotions and beliefs associated with the experience [2]. EMDR has extensively been researched over the past few decades as a treatment for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and is considered to be an evidence-based therapy for trauma [3 & 4].
In addition to treating PTSD, EMDR is also used to treat the mental and emotional effects of a wide variety of smaller traumas that manifest as anxiety, depression, low self-esteem, phobias, creativity blocks, and relationship difficulties [2]. What differentiates EMDR therapy from something like medication per se is that EMDR therapy enables us to treat and address the causes of the issues rather than just treating symptoms.
To do this work of integration, we use a method called bilateral stimulation where you hold pulsers that alternately buzz softly in your right and then left hand or you alternate tapping the right and then left side of your chest. The bilateral stimulation is mild and pleasant and not physically painful at all. The purpose of the bilateral stimulation is to get the right and left hemispheres of your brain, nervous system and body talking to each other, creating new neurol pathways and connections.
What is the difference between Standard Protocol and Modified Protocol, Attachment-Focused EMDR, and why is that important for me?
It is really important to note that there are two different treatment protocols for EMDR therapy: Standard Protocol EMDR and Modified Protocol EMDR. Both protocols are sometimes referred to as Attachment-Focused EMDR which can be confusing because the two protocols are very different from each other—in both their process and their outcome. Standard Protocol tends to be more effective in treating simpler and single incident traumas such as a serious car accident, getting mugged, or a single physical or sexual assault by a stranger for example. Modified Protocol EMDR was developed for clients who have typically been less responsive to the traditional EMDR protocol. Modified Protocol EMDR tends to be more effective for more complex trauma like childhood physical or sexual abuse, neglect, early losses, birth trauma, medical trauma, parental drug or alcohol abuse, caregiver misattunement, secondary trauma, relational trauma (trauma in a romantic relationship, at work or with a family member), early developmental trauma, and traumas resulting in an insecure attachment style [2].
In my experience, both personally as a client and professionally as a therapist, the Modified Protocol is a night and day difference in process and outcomes from the Standard Protocol, and more effective in creating deep healing across all parts of one’s experience (cognitive, emotional, physiological, nervous system, relational and attachment) in a way that feels safe and centered on the unique needs of the individual in the here and now.
The development of Modified Protocol, Attachment-Focused EMDR therapy began in 1991, and was developed by Laurel Parnell PhD, by whom I was trained personally in New York and California. Following Parts 1, 2 and 3 of my training, I completed my certification under a Modified Protocol, Attachment-Focused EMDR consultant approved by EMDRIA (the EMDR International Association).
Modified Protocol, Attachment-Focused EMDR therapy might be a good fit for you if you struggle with anxiety, depression, not feeling fully alive, not enjoying life, difficulty making important decisions and taking action, intense emotional reactions to certain situations or people, difficult relationships in the family with whom you grew up, or issues in your relationships as an adult. Processing and healing can occur much more rapidly than with talk therapy alone, and clearing these negative effects often results in people experiencing greater joy, peace, meaning, depth, openness, and connection in their lives and relationships.
This Modified Protocol, Attachment-Focused EMDR is a flexible and intuitive method of EMDR therapy which enables us to effectively work through a wide variety of triggers and things we haven’t been able to let go of, and genuinely move forward in our lives and relationships.
If any of these sound like things you have experienced or things with which you struggle, please contact me through the contact form on this page to request to schedule your 45 minute phone consultation. I hope to have the privilege of guiding and supporting you in this healing journey.
References:
http://centerforanxietydisorders.com/what-is-trauma/
http://parnellemdr.com/emdr-and-af-emdr/?fbclid=IwAR2ZvmEa7uxLvVm072RTVpA5SMXdOtM3j4dJc8H2ks1a-tghX-RuAgRFtqs
http://www.emdr.com/efficacy/
https://www.emdrhap.org/content/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/Research_2015.pdf
Please Note: I am a fee-for-service, private pay therapist, which means that you are responsible to pay the fee for each session at the time of the session. Many of my clients pay for their therapy with their health savings account or flexible spending account, while others pay with cash or card.
I am considered an out-of-network provider for all insurance plans. You can get more information about seeking out-of-network reimbursement from your insurance plan here:
