What is EMDR?
(Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing)
EMDR is a specialized type of therapy that has been shown to be a highly effective treatment for many different mental health concerns, particularly trauma. EMDR is based on the idea that during a traumatic event, memories are not processed or stored correctly. They are often stored in a way that is maladaptive to us, that does not help us function our best. EMDR utilizes something called bilateral stimulation (tapping, eye movements, or tones) that allows the brain and body to reprocess the maladaptively stored information and can help disturbing memories "lose their charge".
What is Group EMDR?
G-TEP (Group-Traumatic Episode Protocol)
EMDR can be done individually or in groups. Group EMDR can be utilized both as a means of processing past trauma or difficult experiences, and as a preventive measure after recent trauma or crisis (to help prevent traumatic experiences from being stored maladaptively in the first place).
Group-Traumatic Episode Protocol, or G-TEP, is the specific group intervention that will be utilized by therapists with The Auxilia Initiative. GTEP can be used as an early intervention-and when used shortly following a critical incident can prevent material from being stored in a maladaptive way. GTEP reduces the distress that surrounds a recent traumatic episode, and research shows that it can decrease the onset of PTSD, depression, anxiety, and substance use that can follow trauma. G-TEP can also be used to process memories that are not recent, that may have resulted in symptoms presenting in people's lives.
The unique thing about GTEP is that at no point are group members asked or encouraged to share any details of their traumatic episode with others in the group. This makes GTEP a particularly effective and comfortable intervention.
What is Individual Early Intervention EMDR?
R-TEP (Recent-Traumatic Event Protocol)
Recent-Traumatic Event Protocol, or R-TEP, is an individual form of EMDR that helps people to process recent events. Past events and recent events are very different, because past events have already been locked away in the brain's memory network. Recent events, however, have not been locked in the memory network yet, and thus are able to be processed more easily. When people are able to process recent events before they get consolidated into long term memory, they are much less likely to develop post-traumatic stress.
During an R-TEP session, individuals will identify the recent experiences they have been through, and will utilize bilateral stimulation (discussed above), to reprocess the events so that they can be stored in a helpful way.
G-TEP Video
Watch the information/demonstration video to learn more about G-TEP.
