Eye Movement Processing Desensitization (EMDR for short) The method was proposed by the American psychotherapist Francine Shapiro (she is a woman). Helps with disturbing memories, fears, disorders, psychotrauma, phobias. Reduces neuroses.
It is based on the fact that, it turns out, in a state of acute anxiety, confusion and fear, people’s eyes «float». You have to see it — it’s an amazing sight. The eyes do not concentrate, sometimes as if frozen, the gaze wanders, swims … So: if you restore normal movement and concentration of the eyes, it turns out that anxiety goes away or at least decreases!
Procedure
Eyes float…
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If the client declares a specific fear, you should invite him to remember this fear, immerse himself in it and tell where and what he feels (bodily sensations).
Further, the psychotherapist with a straight hand begins to make wide movements with his hand facing the client — two fingers towards the client, the distance to him is about 30 cm. Following the flying fingers of the hand, the client must begin to move his eyes from one edge of his visual field to the other, do complete bilateral eye movements.
We make movements first horizontally, then diagonally, vertically, in a circle, and so on, being interested in the well-being of the client. Do it slowly at first, and then faster and faster, to a real cheerful energy. The psychotherapist’s energy will be transferred to the client. Limitations: The client must not fall behind and must not feel uncomfortable.
If a person, despite the experiences, is nevertheless sensible and understands the idea, he may well do all this for himself. The result is the same, sometimes better.
Modifications
The modification of DPDH consisted in alternating eye movements with a specially selected breathing technique or in the complete replacement of eye movements with respiratory movements. While inhaling, we asked patients to turn their heads from the right shoulder to the left, imagining how, together with the inhaled air, the vital force lost in the trauma situation returns. On exhalation, the patients turned their heads in the opposite direction, freeing themselves from psychotraumatic experiences. We were forced to resort to such a modification due to the difficulties that arise in many patients in the simultaneous performance of two actions: fixing the gaze on a moving handle and re-experiencing psychotraumatic events. We asked patients to pay attention to bodily sensations during EMDR or its modification. In the event of bodily discomfort or pain, we used body-oriented PT techniques in between series of eye movements or respiratory movements. Muscle tension and involuntary movements were eliminated by the use of expressive Gestalt therapy techniques (simple repetition, exaggeration and development).
Interestingly
A simple program for DPG can be downloaded at. Install, white balls will flash on the black screen, the eyes will move after them.
Related articles:
- [/images/5/52/Shapiro._Psihoterapiya_emocionalqnyh_travm_s_pomoschqyu_dvizheniy_.doc Shapiro F. Psychotherapy of emotional trauma using eye movements]
- [/images/f/fd/Desensibilizaciya_i_pererabotka_dvizheniyami_glaz.docx Eye Movement Desensitization and Processing (EMDR)]
- [/images/b/b3/Psihoterapevticheskiy_smysl_EMDR.docx Psychotherapeutic Meaning of EMDR]
- [/images/f/ff/Stadii_standartnoy_procedury_DPDG.docx Stages of the standard DPDG procedure]
- [/images/d/d9/Dobavleniya_k_statqe_Integrator_dvizheniya_glaz.docx Additions to the article «Eye Movement Integrator»]