How EMDR Can Help Traumatic Memories with Dr. DaLene Forester Thacker

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Dr. DaLene is a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, and licensed Professional Clinical Counselor. She is a Certified Eating Disorder Specialist, an expert in traumatic stress, and is certified in EMDR. She has a private practice specializing in the treatment of eating disorders, PTSD, and anxiety disorders in Redding, California.

Main Questions Asked:

What is EMDR? How was EMDR developed?
What does an EMDR session look like?
Is there any research on EMDR? Is it a valid therapy?
What can EMDR treat?
How can we find an EMDR practitioner that’s properly trained?
Can you give us a real world example of an EMDR case you’ve treated?
Can EMDR be done over the internet?

Key Points made by Dr. DaLene:

EMDR stands for eye movement desensitization and reprocessing – a psychotherapy technique that is simple looking but incredibly complex.
EMDR was developed by Francine Shapiro after thinking of a traumatic memory, and noticing the patterns of how her eyes fluttered. She focused on the eye movements and the traumatic memory dissipated.
EMDR really gets to the root cause of traumas and traumatic memories.
Whether traumas are big or small EMDR can be very helpful.
EMDR always starts with a thorough history so the clinician can figure out what memories need to be addressed.
The patient sits across from the therapist, and the therapists helps guide the patient’s eye movements – the patient follows the therapist’s finger or a wand – while the patient remembers a specific memory.
EMDR is one of the most researched treatments for trauma.
The World Health Organization says EMDR is one of the best therapies for trauma memories.
The eye movements cause a calming of the limbic system – the emotional center of the brain. This has been proven with SPECT scans of the brain.
Research on EMDR can help bulimia – the study she’s done cured 50% of bulimics.
EMDR is a validated therapy for PTSD – post traumatic stress disorder.
It can also help anxiety disorders, addictions, and eating disorders.
Dalene gives a real example of a case she treated in her private practice where the patient was sexually abused as a child. With EMDR she was able to fully recover.
It is not recommended to do EMDR sessions over the internet or remotely until the patient is in a really good place mentally/emotionally. Tapping into deep difficult emotions needs to be done in person in case the patient needs extra one-on-one help.