Resolving Trauma Through EMDR
How EMDR Helps Teens & Young Adults
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) is an eight-phase, evidence-based psychotherapy that helps resolve unprocessed traumatic memories so natural healing can resume. EMDR is an essential part of Newport’s treatment model for youth and young adults.
What Is EMDR?
EMDR is a psychotherapy technique designed to help individuals process and overcome traumatic memories and experiences. Developed by Francine Shapiro in the late 1980s, EMDR involves a structured eight-phase approach that includes the use of bilateral stimulation, typically through guided eye movements, to help clients reprocess distressing memories.
EMDR allows clients to process memories that may be difficult to articulate verbally, making it a great option for those who struggle with traditional talk therapy. The goal is to reduce the emotional charge associated with these memories, allowing young people to integrate them more adaptively into their lives.
How Does EMDR Work?
Our brains have a natural way of healing from traumatic memories and events. But sometimes, distressing events can overwhelm our information processing system, impacting the brain’s natural ability to heal. The distress, along with the upsetting images, thoughts, and emotions, remain stuck in the nervous system—a feeling described as being “frozen in time.”
EMDR works directly with the brain and body’s natural capacity for healing, tapping into the mind-body connection. Clients briefly focus on the trauma memory while simultaneously doing eye movements or tapping.
These movements help reduce the vividness and emotions around the memory. While the patient still remembers the experience, the “fight, flight, or freeze” response is resolved, and the memory feels less disturbing.
Who Can Benefit from EMDR?
Newport’s care team evaluates each client to determine if EMDR is appropriate for them. A first-choice treatment for young people struggling with PTSD, EMDR is also effective for treating many other mental health conditions, including:
- Anxiety
- Depression
- Attachment ruptures
- Panic disorders
- Eating disorders
- Negative beliefs about oneself
EMDR helps people take the charge out of past experiences and live more fully in the present. We’ve seen these positive impacts carry over into various facets of their life, including family relationships.
Olivia
Lynch
MS, LPC
National Director of EMDR Services
,
Newport Healthcare
EMDR Evidence-Based Results
To track the success of our trauma-focused treatment, Newport measures patients’ traumatic distress symptoms—at intake, during treatment, and at discharge.
Results show that the number of patients experiencing traumatic distress steadily decreases at each survey time point, with patients experiencing:
- Fewer nightmares
- Reduced sense of being on guard and watchful
- Less avoidant of reminders of trauma
Results-Driven Care
See how young people in our care experienced 50 percent reductions in depression and suicidal thoughts—and why 99 percent of professionals would refer to Newport again.
EMDR Treatment at Newport
EMDR for trauma and other mental health conditions is part of Newport’s comprehensive trauma-informed care. We have residential and outpatient facilities across the country with programming for children ages 7–11 and teens ages 12–18 at Newport Academy, and for young adults ages 18–35 at Newport Institute.
Each client has a tailored treatment plan integrating EMDR sessions with licensed and trained therapists. Our treatment plans also include CBT, DBT-Informed Skills, family therapy, and experiential activities like adventure therapy and creative arts therapies. Contact us today to learn more about treatment at Newport or to make a referral.
Frequently Asked Questions
EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) is a psychotherapy technique designed to help individuals process and recover from traumatic experiences. It involves the use of guided eye movements or other forms of bilateral stimulation to help clients reprocess distressing memories, reducing their emotional charge and facilitating healing.
EMDR works by helping clients access and process traumatic memories in a structured way. During sessions, clients recall distressing events while simultaneously engaging in bilateral stimulation, such as following the therapist’s fingers with their eyes. This process is believed to help the brain integrate and reprocess the memories, leading to a reduction in their emotional impact.
EMDR is most commonly used to treat post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), but it can also be effective for various other conditions, including anxiety disorders, depression, phobias, and complicated grief. It is particularly beneficial for individuals who have experienced trauma or adverse life events.
The number of EMDR sessions required varies depending on the individual and the complexity of their experiences. Some people may notice significant improvement after just a few sessions, while others may require more extended treatment. A thorough assessment by a trained therapist can help determine the appropriate course of treatment.
