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A New Therapy That Relieves
Ailments Through Eye Movement

It may seem like magic, but more and more people say this controversial treatment really works.

It's called EMDR. Some call it a cure. Others say it's all hype.

Deborah Montgomery is struggling with her husband's recent death.

"I experienced incredible shock over this event. It was not expected," said Deborah.

Deborah says she was finally able to let go of the pain thanks to EMDR a controversial eye movement therapy.

"It seems to access some information processing system in the brain," said Deany Laliotis with the EMDR International Association.

Now, 40,000 therapists around the world use it to treat anxiety, depression, and chronic pain. Some are even using it for relationship issues.

"That EMDR is an opportunity to reconcile what you know and how you feel and come to a place of peace," said Deany.

Here's how it works. The therapist uses hand movements, or in some cases a machine that flashes light. Patients follow the hands or lights with their eyes while discussing their pain or trauma.

"Through that type of repetition, there's a very rapid and powerful change that begins to occur," said Dr. Albert Zbik, an EMDR proponent.

Patients say EMDR helps give them a completely new outlook on their problems in a short time. Gail Chinoy could not come to terms with her sister's death. But says in just three sessions, she noticed a change.

"The EMDR and the therapy helped transform that grief," said Gail.

But not everyone is convinced.

"There's no evidence to support the idea that EMDR works better than other standard therapies for trauma," said Dr. James Herbert with Hahnemann University.

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But therapists like Dr. Albert Zbik aren't too concerned about critics. He says in the four years he's been using EMDR, he's seen a 90 percent success rate with his patients.

"How I felt had changed radically," exclaims Deborah. "I was a lot lighter, wasn't waiting for the shoe to drop."

If you choose to give EMDR a try, the experts say make sure the therapist you choose has been trained in EMDR. And be sure you choose someone you can connect with.

Source: ABC News (6/19/02)

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