Resourcing and Preparation for Reprocessing with EMDR Therapy: From the EMDR Supplement
Jan 4, 2024
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The hosts discuss resourcing in EMDR therapy, exploring adaptive experiences and bilateral stimulation. They also delve into mastery resources, building a resource team, and enhancing positive memories. The importance of creativity and establishing safety and connection is emphasized.
44:43
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Quick takeaways
Resourcing in EMDR therapy helps clients develop adaptive understanding and regulation through positive experiences and neural networks.
Careful selection of low-impact targets for reprocessing trauma establishes safety, adaptive resources, and reduces overwhelming the client.
Deep dives
Understanding the Importance of Resourcing in EMDR Therapy
Resourcing plays a vital role in EMDR therapy, providing clients with neural networks that contribute to their adaptive understanding of themselves and the world. Resources are developed through positive experiences in the present, evoking a real, felt sense of the positive sensations. These resources can be accessed to regulate distress and gain adaptive insight. Resourcing can lead to both short-term state change and long-lasting trait change. Different types of resources, such as the calm safe place, container, and relational resources, can be used to stabilize clients and create safety before moving into reprocessing traumatic memories. Slow and short bilateral stimulation can enhance the storage of resources. The therapeutic relationship itself is considered a critical resource, offering safety, connection, and a sense of co-regulation. Clients can utilize resourcing outside of sessions, accessing the felt sense of safety and connection developed during therapy.
Preparing Clients for Reprocessing: Start Small, Establish Safety
Moving from resourcing to reprocessing trauma requires careful consideration and establishing safety. Clients need to feel safe both in the therapeutic relationship and in the process itself. Beginning with low-impact traumas helps establish a context for EMDR and allows clients to experience reprocessing without becoming overwhelmed. These low-impact targets serve as test runs, providing information about the client's strategies, blocks, and responses. Successfully working on low-impact traumas creates adaptive experiences that can serve as resources for future reprocessing. Gradually approaching higher-impact traumas ensures that clients feel safe and equipped to handle the distress that may arise. This step-by-step approach reduces the risk of overwhelming the client or creating a phobia of EMDR.
Selecting Low Impact Targets for Reprocessing
When choosing low-impact targets for reprocessing, therapists should select events directly associated with the trauma networks clients want to work on. These events should have moderate distress, around a level 3 to 5, allowing for a noticeable shift. It is important to avoid major issues, family of origin issues, or shame-related events initially. Examples of suitable low-impact events include medical incidents, bullying experiences, or a mean teacher. The goal is to find a balance between enough distress for a meaningful shift but not overwhelming the client. Successfully reprocessing these low-impact events establishes an adaptive resource connected to the trauma network, setting the stage for working on more distressing events in the future.
The Role of Bilateral Stimulation and Tangible Anchors in Reprocessing
Bilateral stimulation is a common technique used in reprocessing traumatic memories. Slow and short sets of bilateral stimulation can enhance the storage of positive experiences and adaptive neural networks. Bilateral stimulation can be used with various resources, such as image-focused resourcing or engaging different senses to strengthen positive experiences. Tangible anchors, like physical objects or body sensations, can also be utilized to connect clients with desired states and emotions. For example, an Apple Watch can serve as an anchor for a feeling of self-sufficiency. These techniques aid in gradually and safely exploring and reprocessing traumatic memories, empowering clients to access and shift the distress associated with the past.
Listen in to hear the hosts of Notice That as they share material from The EMDR Supplement, an EMDRIA approved Advanced Training designed for EMDR Certification and advanced applications.