Experiential contributors

• Welcome to a Dialogue on EMDR with Francine Shapiro by John Grohol, 7/22/97
  • Re: Pre natal trauma by Jilly Pagotto, 3/14/99
    
    

EMDR therapy is guided by an information processing model which posits that pathology is generally based upon earlier experiences which have been dysfunctionally stored in the brain in the form they were input. Memory researchers also have spoken about the difference between functional and dysfunctional storage: That is when a trauma is dysfunctionally stored it is held in motoric memory and contains the emotions and physical sensations that were experienced at the time of the event. Functional storage in declarative memory is indicated when the emotions and body sensations are no longer present.

Before therapy, the client initially has the images, emotions, beliefs, physical sensations that were engendered at the time of the event. After successful EMDR therapy, the information has been processed and arrived at an adaptive resolution. That is, what is useful is learned, stored with appropriate emotion and able to guide the person appropriately in the future. What is useless is discarded: the negative emotions and physical sensations are no longer there. It doesn't matter what the age or source of the real or perceived experience.

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