Adequately Activating Targets in EMDR Therapy
The Importance of Target Activation
A helpful phrase that I teach trainees in my EMDR workshops is that “you need to feel it to heal it”. For EMDR therapy to be effective, a client needs to connect deeply with the emotions and sensations associated with a trauma memory, not just intellectually recall the memory. Activating a target in Phase 3 involves bringing a memory to the forefront of the client’s mind and connecting with its most disturbing aspects so that it becomes vivid, emotionally, and somatically resonant in the present moment. Whether it's through a specific image, sound, or smell, the goal is to light a target up as much as possible, because affect is a key factor that fuels the reprocessing and healing of trauma in EMDR therapy.
We aim to help the client 'pull the cord on the lawnmower' of the targeted memory, so to speak, to get the brain moving and initiate effective reprocessing. It’s important to ensure that a target is fully activated, and the client’s distress is viscerally felt in the present moment before moving into Phase 4 to reprocess the target using bilateral stimulation. When a target is adequately activated, the emotional intensity provides the necessary fuel for the reprocessing to be effective.
Challenges in Activating Targets
Sometimes, the most challenging part isn't finding a memory to reprocess in EMDR therapy but helping the client to viscerally connect with the affect associated with the memory during a reprocessing session. Activating a target can be challenging, especially when clients have longstanding protective defences like emotional suppression, dissociation, or intellectualising. Additionally, the memory may feel distant in the past, and difficult for the client to truly connect with, or they may be distracted by sounds or other sensory aspects of their present environment.
Some strategies to help activate targets:
If the standard Phase 3 - Target Assessment questions don’t adequately activate a target, you might consider one or more of these strategies:
Visualisation Techniques: Ask the client to close their eyes and run through the whole experience as a video in their mind, frame by frame. Encourage them to imagine pressing ‘pause’ at the worst moment.
Physical Sensations: Encourage the client to focus on the physical sensations associated with the memory. This could involve paying attention to bodily reactions, such as tension, nausea, or pain, that arise when thinking about the trauma.
Emotional Anchoring: Help the client anchor to a specific emotion that they felt during the traumatic event. This can involve discussing the feelings in detail and exploring if and how these emotions manifest in the present moment.
Sensory Exposure: Incorporate forms of exposure in the therapy session, such as a sound, smell, piece of music, or visual aid. For example, the client could look at a disturbing image, listen to an excerpt of a song, smell something or read an upsetting email on their phone that reminds them of the trauma. These sensory cues can help bring the memory to life and enhance the emotional resonance.
Check in With ‘Parts’: When these approaches don't seem to activate the target adequately, it may be because one or more ‘parts’ in the client’s internal system are unsettled by the trauma work. Internal fears, phobias, or conflicts may need to be addressed using parts work. For example, you can ask, “I’m curious, perhaps a part of you might not be on board with what we are doing here. Does that resonate with you?” If the client acknowledges this, you may explore what this part is concerned about and work toward building empathy, compassion, and collaboration between their internal parts.
Closing Reflections
Adequately activating targets is important for the success of EMDR therapy. By helping clients connect deeply with the emotions and sensations associated with their trauma, we enable the reprocessing and healing that EMDR offers. Through creative strategies and a thorough understanding of the client's defences, we can ensure that the targets are fully activated, setting the stage for effective and transformative reprocessing.
Overcome EMDR Challenges with Confidence
If you're an EMDR therapist facing challenges in your practice, you might like to consider purchasing my ‘Troubleshooting in EMDR Therapy’ on-demand webinar. This training is designed to help you address common obstacles and boost your confidence in EMDR therapy.
I'm Caroline Burrows, an Accredited EMDR Trainer and Consultant. I’m passionate about bridging the gap between EMDR training and clinical practice. If you're looking to learn EMDR therapy for the first time, enhance your EMDR skills, or navigate challenges in your EMDR clinical work, I offer training workshops, on-demand webinars, and consultation. I would love to support your EMDR learning journey.
