The EMDR Life Stress Protocol was initially developed to address maladaptive patterns of response related to attachment styles rooted in developmental trauma. Clients with developmental trauma and attachment issues often experienced stress in their daily life tasks and relationship demands. The goal in treatment is to decrease the problematic behaviors without having to access the entire memory network.
Yet in today’s world, the EMDR Life Stress Protocol can be used for stand-alone interventions for clients requesting brief treatment. These clients may have difficulty with coping with ongoing life stress that is more disruptive to their life. When we can’t manage our emotional response we can fall into depression, anxiety, eating disorders, procrastination, social anxiety, performance anxiety, insomnia, panic attacks, chronic stress, etc.
The EMDR LIfe Stress protocol was taken from its initial attachment-based application in EMDR psychotherapy as a response to the emergent clinical demands stemming from the COVID crisis. The goal is to not only address the client’s reaction to the current situation that is generating symptoms, but to decrease the emotional stress from some of the earlier memories that intensify the client’s reactivity to the current situation.
With EMDR, we start with a current target incident that is causing stress, i.e. “fear of dying from COVID-19.” A trained EMDR therapist can use a float back technique to elicit earlier times when they had the same belief, and then redirect the client to focus on the current situation frequently until the reaction to their situation has decreased.
After the stressor has been desensitized and is no longer distressing to the client, we immediately move to a future situation where the client might imagine feeling the same way. The client can see themselves responding in a more adaptive way in the future which empowers them to feel more confident and less fearful.
Let’s get you in my virtual or physical office and help you to start moving past whatever stressor is impeding your functioning today.