Dr. Christie Seiler, an instructor for University at Albany’s online Bachelor of Arts in Psychology program, has been a licensed clinical psychologist since 2003.
Having a specialization in neuropsychology, over the course of her career, she’s helped patients cope with a wide range of issues, including autism, dementia, neurological conditions and trauma.
Working in such a versatile practice means Seiler has had to stay on top of new psychotherapeutic techniques, a characteristic that only benefits her students as they prepare for meaningful careers in counseling and human services.
A Passion for Healing, Education and Research
Seiler has worn many hats throughout her career, including working as a risk management specialist and a program administrator for mental health facilities and participating in a research project investigating radiotherapy’s effect on cognitive function. As first-generation college graduate with a passion for helping others pursue higher education, she’s been a teacher for more than 20 years and has run her own private practices in Pennsylvania and New York over the past two decades.
“I’ve always been interested in the relationship between physiology, behavior and mood,” she says. “I had neonatal meningitis at 1 day old, and I wasn’t supposed to function normally. They anticipated that I would have a lot of learning problems, and that was something that my parents worried about pretty much my whole childhood. So the whole neuropsychology piece was something that always interested me.”
As much as Seiler’s work is influenced by navigating this early diagnosis, it’s equally influenced by the needs of the community she spent much of her career serving.
“Williamsport, Pennsylvania, is in the middle of the state. There aren’t many practitioners, and it’s kind of rural,” Seiler says. “We had a lot of need in a lot of different treatment areas, so I would just learn about whatever the community needed so we could make it happen.”
Seiler’s curiosity and passion for learning has led to her incorporation of new therapeutic techniques into her practice. One therapy that she has added to her practice in recent years is eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR), a novel therapy that’s greatly impacted trauma treatment.
What Is EMDR? History and Efficacy
Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing is a psychotherapeutic intervention that helps patients overcome the negative emotions and feelings associated with trauma. It uses bilateral stimulation, typically eye movements, to help patients overcome traumatic memories.
EMDR was developed in 1987 by Dr. Francine Shapiro, a practicing clinical psychologist. Shapiro, diagnosed with breast cancer in 1979, was walking through a park reflecting on her own traumatic experiences when she noticed that moving her eyes back and forth relieved the mental distress she was experiencing.
After refining the process and giving it structure, Shapiro conducted a controlled case study that supported the effectiveness of the treatment. By 1989, other researchers had also published positive findings about EMDR.
Recent EMDR Research
To anyone unfamiliar with EMDR, the process may sound outlandish. Initially, Seiler agreed. “I pooh-poohed it at the very beginning,” she remembers. “I thought, ‘Nobody is going to come to us if we tell them to move their eyes back and forth.’ But then the research started pouring out.”
For example, a 2024 analysis of almost 100 randomized control trials pertaining to EMDR found that it’s often particularly effective for adults with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). In one of the reviewed studies, 80% of participants didn’t meet the criteria for PTSD after a year of EMDR treatment.
Furthermore, EMDR is included in the American Psychological Association’s PTSD treatment guidelines alongside cognitive behavioral therapy, medication and exposure therapy.
What Is the Science Behind EMDR?
Despite the research supporting the effectiveness of EMDR, how and why it works isn’t fully understood. However, Seiler says researchers may be getting closer to understanding the mechanisms behind it.
“There is research to show that it mimics REM sleep, and during REM sleep, your brain is processing information, so that’s one explanation,” she says.
EMDR mimicking the rapid eye movement (REM) cycle isn’t proven, but it certainly makes logical sense. The REM cycle is the stage of sleep in which the eyes dart around and the brain enters a state of high activity. Experts say REM sleep is vital to cognitive functioning, emotional regulation and memory.
“It’s very exciting stuff. There’s new research coming out all the time about the effectiveness of EMDR, even the physiological modalities that lead to the changes,” Seiler explains. “But it has been life changing for the patients that I’ve worked with.”
Learn How to Vet and Implement Revolutionary Psychology Interventions
While Dr. Christie Seiler was initially skeptical of EMDR, she did her due diligence and researched it enough to find out if it could actually help the people she serves. At the University at Albany, she helps future psychology professionals develop those ever-important critical thinking skills through the online Bachelor of Arts in Psychology program.
With a curriculum built on statistical methods, experimental methodology and ethics, the program is designed to help students build the foundation they need to become effective mental health providers, skilled researchers and more. Also, with room for psychology electives, students can tailor their experience to fit their professional goals.
To find out more about this program, request more information today.
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