I hear this question all the time…

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“But EMDR is only for trauma, right?”

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There's this persistent myth that EMDR is only for PTSD… and that it should only be pulled out for a client with textbook trauma symptoms.

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But that’s not entirely true. The truth is…

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EMDR's effectiveness extends far beyond the trauma treatment where it first gained recognition. While a lion’s share of the research has indeed been trauma-focused, the EMDR providers on the frontlines doing the work have deepened their understanding of the Adaptive Information Processing (AIP) model, and discovered how to apply it to a much wider range of human suffering.

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And today, I want to explore three powerful special applications of EMDR deeper.

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In this newsletter, I'll show you how EMDR can help you effectively address depression, chronic pain, and addiction (with practical steps you can start taking right away).

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Rethinking Depression Through the AIP Lens

When a client comes to you with depression, what do you see?

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Most traditional approaches focus on neurotransmitter imbalances or distorted thinking patterns. These perspectives aren't wrong.

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But they're incomplete.

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Through the AIP lens, depression often involves memory networks containing maladaptively stored experiences of loss, failure, rejection, or helplessness. And aside from creating negative thoughts, these networks also organize how your client experiences the present moment.

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Think about your depressed clients:

Have you noticed how a minor disappointment can trigger a profound emotional slide? That’s their memory networks activating.
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And that’s why EMDR is so useful.

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It addresses depression by targeting:

• Formative experiences that established negative self-beliefs ("I'm not enough")
• Significant losses or disappointments that created templates for hopelessness
• Early attachment experiences where emotional needs weren't met
• Current triggers that activate these depressive networks

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The difference between this approach and traditional CBT?

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Rather than just challenging the thought "I'm worthless," EMDR processes the experiences that created and maintains this belief at a neurobiological level.

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What makes this particularly powerful is that many depressed clients don't respond to the insight-oriented "I know this isn't rational" approach. Their emotional brain is still running on old programming.

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EMDR helps update that programming directly.

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Chronic Pain: When the Body Keeps the Score

Chronic pain might seem like the least likely candidate for a psychological intervention.

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After all, pain is physical right?
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Not entirely.

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Pain exists at the intersection of physical sensation and the brain's interpretation of that sensation, or as I like to say, their brain’s relationship with that sensation (which is heavily influenced by memory networks).

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Let me give you an example.

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Think about a client with persistent back pain following an accident. Aside from current physical sensations, their experience includes:

• The terror of the original injury
• The helplessness of medical procedures
• Perhaps the frustration of not being believed about their pain
• The grief of activities lost and identities changed

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And when these experiences are maladaptively stored, they amplify pain perception. The brain stays on high alert. It’s like gasoline on a fire. What could just be small embers becomes a roaring blaze.

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But with EMDR therapy?

• Process the emotional components of the injury and treatment
• Target the fear-pain connection that maintains chronic pain
• Address the grief and identity loss that accompanies chronic conditions
• Use bilateral stimulation to directly modify pain perception

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Now the result isn’t only psychological.

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EMDR can lead to substantial reductions in pain intensity and improved functioning. The mind-body connection works both ways.

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Addiction: Processing What Drives the Dependency

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"I know I shouldn't turn to that addictive behavior, but it helps escape the suffering..."

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Sound familiar?

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Traditional addiction treatment often focuses on behavioral strategies and relapse prevention. But even though these treatments can be valuable…

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They sometimes miss the deeper drivers of addiction.
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Through the AIP model, substance use can be understood as an attempt to manage distress associated with maladaptively stored experiences. When certain memory networks activate, they trigger overwhelming emotions that substances temporarily relieve.

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EMDR addresses addiction by:

• Processing experiences that created emotional dysregulation
• Targeting the specific memories associated with using behavior
• Addressing the shame and self-loathing that often drive continued use
• Desensitizing cravings and current triggers that prompt them
• Building internal resources for emotional regulation and future templates for successfully regulating without the addictive behavior/substance
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Instead of helping clients resist urges, this EMDR approach actually reduces the intensity and frequency of those urges by addressing their source.

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Special Applications of EMDR​
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So unless you’ve been trained in these special applications, you’re probably wondering:
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“How exactly do I adapt EMDR for these conditions?”

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I'll list these special applications by name in the section below, but here are the key modifications that make EMDR effective beyond PTSD:

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Target Selection: Rather than focusing only on capital-T trauma, we identify experiences that contributed to the condition's development. For depression, this might include early experiences of criticism, rejection, or failure. For addiction, initial experiences with substances and what drove those experiences.
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Symptom-Focused Processing: Sometimes we directly target current symptoms. With chronic pain, bilateral stimulation can be applied while focusing on the pain sensation itself. With addiction, protocols like FSA or DeTUR target urges and cravings directly.

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Resource Development: These conditions often require more extensive resourcing than PTSD. Depression clients may need help accessing positive emotions. Pain clients benefit from developing resources for sensory regulation (or as Mark Grant calls it, “Antidote Imagery”). Addiction clients need resources for tolerating difficult emotions without following maladaptive cravings.

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Where to Begin with Special Applications for Depression, Pain, or Addiction

If you're interested in expanding your EMDR practice beyond trauma, here are my recommendations:

1. Get training in special application protocols.
   1. Depression: DeprEnd protocol.
   2. Pain: Mark Grant’s Pain protocol.
   3. Addiction: Feeling State Addiction (FSA) or DeTUR protocols.
2. Start with clients who have both PTSD and these conditions. The connection will be clearer, and you'll gain confidence in the approach.
3. Thoroughly map the development of the condition. When did symptoms begin? What was happening in the client's life? What made things better or worse?
4. Look for patterns of emotional activation. What triggers depression spirals, pain flares, or strong urges to use?
5. Begin with clear targets that have obvious emotional charge, then move toward more subtle contributors.
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EMDR is a powerful tool for addressing a wide range of clinical presentations beyond PTSD (there are more than these three, which I will cover in future articles).

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By understanding how the AIP model applies to conditions like depression, chronic pain, and addiction, you can help clients who haven't fully responded to traditional approaches.

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Have you used EMDR with these special applications? How has it supported your clients?

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Until next week,

Chris
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P.S. We’re working hard to build a robust ecosystem supporting therapists in advancing their EMDR practice, marketing to niche clients, and connecting with other providers for support and community. Learn more about the pilot and apply to join the community for free!​