# Eye Movement Integration - EMI



## Catechumen (Aug 21, 2018)

Eye Movement Integration or EMI for short was started by Canadian Danie Beaulieu. It has similarities to EMDR except the eye movements are different, using a pattern of 22 eye movements and typically done more slowly, whereas EMDR generally uses a horizontal-only set of movements done at a faster pace (REM speed).
EMI claims to be on offshoot from NLP, although Danie Beaulieu has been trained in EMDR as well.
EMI has claimed to be effective in treating PTSD and other mental health issues.
http://www.academieimpact.com/en/formation-emi

There is some dispute over the origin of EMDR, as NLP co-founder John Grinder claims he gave Francine Shapiro the basics for EMDR when she worked for his Company. She denies the conversation ever took place. See
https://web.archive.org/web/20190901120841/https://www.nlp.ch/pdfdocs/Historie_EMDR_Wingwave.pdf

In anycase, Francine Shapiro desrves credit for at least bringing Eye Movement therapies to the wider public.

There is no EMI certified therapist in my locality so I can't vouch for it's effectiveness but it would seem a viable alternative to EMDR


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## Shredder (Apr 19, 2011)

Sounds interesting. Have you personal experience with EMDR? I did it as part of my therapy but it kinda stalled. On paper it all looked pretty simple and easy but once we started I began to get emotionally distressed which was not mentioned in anything that I've ever read on how things go down in a session. I guess it kinda took me off guard and then it became just another of the many hurdles to overcome in therapy. I still feel like going back at some stage and trying it again. Perhaps AvP is more of an issue for me these days than what SAD is.


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## Catechumen (Aug 21, 2018)

Shredder said:


> ..... Have you personal experience with EMDR? I did it as part of my therapy but it kinda stalled. On paper it all looked pretty simple and easy but once we started I began to get emotionally distressed which was not mentioned in anything that I've ever read on how thingsgo down in a session. I guess it kinda took me off guard and then it became just another of the many hurdles to overcome in therapy. I still feel like going back at some stage and trying it again. Perhaps AvP is more of an issue for me these days than what SAD is.


Hi Shredder,
I've not tried it with any therapist, just dabbled with it on my own - it does do something - seems to drag stuff up, but it's dealing with the emotions that come up that maybe a major part of it. I did read that some emotional disturbances were not unusual for EMI, I would say that it was a sign it was working. Several sessions are supposed to be taken before it can do it's job. Maybe you could consider giving it another shot?
There was no therapist near me doing EMI last time I looked, but I have worked with various therapists using other therapies over the years some have helped, some were useless.
I don't know much about AvPD, it sounds similar to SAD to me. I know if we don't do anything, we won't change, but it's hard, it's a cruel world.


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## Shredder (Apr 19, 2011)

@Catechumen Thanks for the reply. Yeah been thinking about going back. Part of me feels like therapy only works if you "believe" and I've become so cynical that moving forward can be challenging.


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## Catechumen (Aug 21, 2018)

You can find the 22 eye movements of EMI and more info on this pdf file:

https://web.archive.org/web/20170313032650/http://www.lhj.dk/pdf/emi-introduction.pdf


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