Is EMDR Therapy Right For You?
Following up on last month’s post about trauma, I frequently receive inquiries from people seeking EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) therapy to help heal from upsetting and traumatic experiences. As an EMDR therapist, I naturally envision how EMDR therapy could be of value to clients who are feeling stuck in one or more areas of life, so I’m always happy to have a conversation.
As EMDR therapy becomes increasingly accessible and people are becoming more familiar with the protocol, it’s also catching on that there’s more to EMDR therapy than following a therapist’s swaying fingers or alternately tapping the shoulders while recalling an upsetting memory and expecting challenges to quickly melt away. That being said, EMDR therapy has been used for more than 30 years and is backed by a substantial amount of clinical research. Although talk therapy has its place and is truly a lifeline for so many people, EMDR therapy has been shown to work quicker and yield ongoing results. While the aim of this post is to provide some clarity as to whether EMDR therapy could be a fit for your therapy goals, please read the following background info below first, as this may answer your questions.
EMDR Therapy is Recognized and Respected
EMDR therapy is widely recognized as an effective treatment for trauma by the American Psychiatric Association, International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies, Department of Defense, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Israeli National Council for Mental Health, National Alliance on Mental Illness, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, U.K. National Institute for Health and Care Excellence and the World Health Organization.
A Brief Primer On EMDR Therapy
According to EMDRIA, the credentialing organization for EMDR therapists, EMDR therapy is defined as an extensively researched, effective psychotherapy method proven to help people recover from trauma and other distressing life experiences, including PTSD, anxiety, depression and panic disorders.
EMDR therapy can also be effective in lessening the charge on experiences that on the outside may not seem traumatic, such as a passing comment or look, a negative job performance review, a breakup or even a haircut gone bad. But, any experience that we perceive to be upsetting can get stuck in our nervous system.
The goal of EMDR therapy is to move these stuck memories and experiences from our emotional (limbic) brain to our rational brain (neocortex), where the experiences integrate, along with all of the experiences and information we’ve acquired throughout our life.
What Does An EMDR Therapy Session Look Like?
During the reprocessing part of an EMDR therapy session, your therapist will help you maintain a dual awareness of staying in the present moment while revisiting a past memory that might include sensory elements (i.e., a smell or sound). At the same time, you’ll engage in bilateral stimulation (BLS), for example, alternately tapping your shoulders or legs, following the therapist’s hand movements with your eyes, holding buzzers that alternately vibrate or listening to alternating auditory sounds/music.
Preparation for EMDR therapy involves developing or honing your mindfulness skills. Mindfulness is the practice of returning to the present moment, using all of your senses to notice the moment. This can feel challenging for those of us whose mind is on many things at once, but mindfulness gets easier, even with small amounts of practice. I encourage clients to suspend any self-judgement that may show up when struggling to stay in the moment. You will get there!
Two benefits of mindfulness: Mindfulness calms the nervous system, which helps to manage any distressing memories that may appear during and after an EMDR reprocessing session. And it can be used wherever you’re needing to take a moment to slow down or calm your nervous system.
To be sure, there’s more to EMDR therapy than what I describe here and if it piques your interest, I encourage you to learn more or reach out to me for additional information.
Is EMDR Therapy Right For You?
The answer, as you may imagine, will vary client to client and is a decision that’s best made between you and your therapist.
Some wonder if EMDR therapy is a fit, due to personal history (i.e., can EMDR therapy help me, given what I’ve been through?), affect (i.e., I’m so agitated, depressed, removed, etc.) and fears about what EMDR therapy can bring up (i.e., I want to feel better, but I’m scared where EMDR therapy may take me). Regardless of presentation, what is universal among the people who reach out to me is a deep and authentic desire to heal and rebuild.
Having a supportive EMDR therapist with a strong focus on preparing for reprocessing traumatic memories (building mindfulness and distress tolerance skills) often means the above concerns can be successfully addressed. Even if you’ve not had success with stress management techniques like deep breathing or if you have ADHD, consider yourself to be Type A, a worrier, and/or have a racing mind, please know that over time and with practice, mindfulness skills WILL develop. There are many ways to practice mindfulness, thankfully it is much more than the visual of a peaceful, cross-legged meditating individual.
A well trained EMDR therapist knows that taking the time to help prepare clients with a robust toolbox of mindfulness and coping skills often means smoother and more effective reprocessing of distressing memories and experiences, as well as managing distressing emotions that may arise in between sessions.
Contraindications: When EMDR Therapy Isn’t A Good Fit
It’s essential that a person receiving EMDR therapy is emotionally and physically stable. This includes not actively using substances or engaging in behaviors that result in detaching from emotions. A person who is experiencing psychosis, thoughts of suicide or suicidal ideations, is neurologically impaired or taking benzodiazepines would likely not be a fit for EMDR therapy while these conditions are present. Speak with your therapist about what may be possible.
Having a serious physical health condition will require the therapist to consult with the client’s medical doctor prior to beginning EMDR therapy. The goal is always to keep the client safe.
What About Zoning Out?
Those who are prone to dissociation numbing/zoning out can usually engage successfully with EMDR therapy. Extra time spent in the resourcing/preparation phase of EMDR, learning mindfulness techniques and distress tolerance skills can help prepare for any dissociation/numbing that could occur. Keeping your therapist informed about when this is happening is key.
EMDR therapy requires that the client stay in the present moment in order to reprocess past experiences. If you struggle to stay present, know that mindfulness is a practice that many people who struggle with dissociation can master. These skills can be used both in and out of session, so the benefits are constant.
An Ongoing Dialogue With Your Therapist is Key to Success
It’s also important for you, as the client, to keep your therapist informed if you’re experiencing any of the above, in order to stay safe and to experience the best results. Pretending everything is OK or wanting everything to be OK in the moment when it’s not or feels even a little off will stall treatment and relief. A great thing about EMDR therapy is that it’s okay and encouraged to flow between reprocessing an upsetting experience and resourcing/engaging in mindfulness and distress tolerance skills. EMDR therapists have a saying about how moving slowly yields quicker results. Time and time again I find this to be true.
How Long Until I Feel Better?
Many clients report feeling some relief anywhere from several sessions to several months after beginning EMDR therapy. If you were hoping to hear a speedier timeframe, keep in mind, as mentioned earlier, EMDR therapy often yields results quicker than traditional talk therapy. Many clients discover EMDR therapy when talk therapy isn’t bringing the hoped for results and longstanding stuckness continues
Next Steps
If you’d like to learn more about EMDR therapy, how it can help upsetting and traumatic experiences get unstuck and if you’re a good fit for this type of therapy, please reach out to me to schedule a consultation call.
Until next month… Ginny
If you’re having a mental health emergency, please dial 911 and/or go to the nearest emergency room immediately.
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, Available 24 hours. Call 1-800-273-8255
Ginny Paige, LCSW
Ginny Paige is a therapist in New York and Vermont. She specializes in supporting adults and children who are struggling to manage life’s changes.