EMDR

Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) is a type of therapy totally different from talk therapy. It integrates your brain and body to help process multiple kinds of emotional issues. A common misconception of EMDR is the belief you need to have experienced something extremely traumatic to use it. Below are some answers to commonly asked questions about EMDR to help you determine if it sounds like it could be helpful for you. 

Who is EMDR for? 

The short answer: almost anyone. If you have experienced some emotional pain in your life, EMDR is for you. While EMDR is incredibly helpful for those who have experienced major life traumas like life-threatening experiences or assaults, it is also a great tool that helps with anxiety, complex PTSD, grief, panic attacks, depression, and sleep issues. Some specific examples where EMDR could help would be with the words a parent said to you that still rattle around in your head, a moment of failure that keeps you from trying again, the rejection from peers at school, or getting fired from a job. Basically EMDR can help with any negative beliefs you may have about yourself that you can’t shake. 

What do you do in EMDR? 

If we decide EMDR is appropriate for you in therapy, we start by making an action plan. We pick memories or events that have further glued the negative beliefs you have about yourself to your mind. Then I have you scale a few things for me, like how upsetting this memory or event is for you and how much you would believe a more positive thought about the same memory. Then we use side to side movements to help process the memory. Processing means we look at a memory or belief and reorganize it in your brain to be less painful. Since we meet online, it will be a ball that goes side to side on your screen or a sound that goes from your left ear to your right with headphones on. The overall goal of EMDR is to change your thoughts about yourself to be more positive, feel less emotional pain or discomfort, and help bring more peace to your physical body.  

How exactly does it work? 

The side to side movements help jog the memory or target and bring it from your long term memory to your working memory. The combination of the movements along with focusing on the event help change how you feel about the target, what you believe about yourself, and sometimes even the memory itself.

Does EMDR work?

YES! I have seen EMDR reduce panic attacks and feelings of fear and depression after assault. I have seen it improve self-esteem and heal wounds that were decades old. EMDR was able to change these thought processes much faster than basic talk therapy. 

Can you use EMDR with virtual therapy? 

Over the past couple of years, more and more therapists have been using EMDR online due to the pandemic. Several research studies have been conducted at this time and have shown EMDR to be as effective online as it is in person. To see some of this research, please visit the website linked below.

What if I don’t remember the event(s) that well? 

It is perfectly acceptable if you don’t fully remember what happened to you. It is possible to use EMDR to address even the knowledge of what happened to you as well as the leftover ways it impacted how you view yourself or feel in your body. 

My clients have seen significant positive changes in how they view themselves after using EMDR. They experience fewer symptoms related to anxiety, depression, and PTSD. EMDR can help you unravel the threads that keep you stuck and ultimately help you become more connected and self-compassionate. 

A great resource for further detail on EMDR is the following website: https://www.emdria.org/about-emdr-therapy/ or this VIDEO . I would also be happy to discuss any further questions you may have about the EMDR process or if it is a good fit for you. I offer free 15-minute consultations to help you better determine if I am the therapist for you. Please click the button below to schedule a call.