EMDR Therapy: Is It Right For You?

May 5, 2022

EDMR therapy might be the right solution you need for moving forward after life changing events. However, it requires a lot of allowing your body to feel and process.

With around 70% of all adults experiencing at least one form of traumatic event in their life, there are a lot of people looking for help. For many experiencing deeply rooted trauma and debilitating beliefs, talking to a therapist a few times a week just isn’t helping to get to the root of the problem.

So, is EMDR therapy right for you? You’ll want to look at some facts about what EMDR therapy can treat, as well as the process. Make your informed decision about this therapy knowing all the pros and cons.

What Is EMDR?

Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing, or EMDR for short, is a form of psychotherapy. The special thing about this therapy is that it is a mix of working the brain to activate just the right parts, paired with a non judgement mindful approach. In brief, this is what sets this method apart from your typical “talk therapy”.

The idea is that by following the finger of your therapist side to side, creating a rapid bilateral movement, parts of the brain are stimulated that are meant to self-soothe. In fact, with this part activated you can begin to process events and information that were too much for your brain to handle it the original moment it took place. You are then open to replacing these memories and beliefs with new positive and affirming thoughts.

It takes 8 phases to complete an EMDR session. They are:

  1. History & Planning – The therapist gets a background idea of what you are working with and what you want as a resolve.
  2. Prep – Your therapist will share with you the process, what to expect, and give you an opportunity for questions.
  3. Assessment – The event is identified, including images, beliefs and feelings.
  4. Desensitization – This is the step where your therapist will create eye movement.
  5. Installation – New positive thoughts and beliefs are reinforced
  6. Body Scan – Client does a mental body scan to identify any disturbances in their body
  7. Closure – Therapist assists the client in coming to a calmed state from the session
  8. Reevaluate – Future targets are determined

What Can You Treat With EMDR?

EMDR therapy can treat a variety of mental health disorders. Your mental health professional can help you decide whether EMDR is right for you. Below are some common use cases:

PTSD

In highly stressful events, the brain is unable to process the new incoming information and essentially freezes as is. This leaves people’s bodys stuck in an impaired or defensive state as if it is still occurring, known as PTSD.

With EMDR therapy, you can train your brain to let go of the event. Examples of installation would involve reminders about your safety in the current moment and any hanging guilt about the event.`

Depression

Depression is a mental condition of constant negative thought. Life feels defeating or pointless. Subsequently, this can be very weighing on a person’s day-to-day living.

Treating depression with EMDR would be a process of digging up the source of your current negative beliefs, followed by creating a new uplifting life outlook.

Anxiety

Anxiety is living with a constant fear of the future and its possibilities. Furthermore, these fears can cause obssessions creating an anxiety sub-disorder known as OCD. Anxiety can often even hold someone back from taking any action in life in fear of unwanted results.

Through EMDR treatment you can work on creating a sense of safety in the world, and acceptance of the possibilities: what if things went the way you wanted? What would you do in life?

Eating Disorders

There are many outside factors from society to friends and family that can influence the way we feel around food. Eating disorders and disordered eating come in many forms, but all make for a difficult relationship with food and often relate to body image issues.

Work on erasing fears of food with EMDR, and learn to trust that food is nourishing for your body and mind.

Things To Consider

Overall, medical professionals consider EMDR a safe practice. Although, as promising as EMDR can sound, there are always cons alongside the pros to consider. These may be the deciding factor to decide whether EMDR is right for you.

Pros

  • Results start to show after only a few sessions – opposed to talk therapy alone which can go on for years.
  • Extensively researched and proven as a reliable therapy method.
  • Treatment solution for a number of disorders, trauma, and illness.

Cons

  • Distressing for the client resurfacing their memories and sensations
  • Resurfacing more repressed memories that will also require further attention

The biggest fear therapists have regarding EMDR is the potential of it being a triggering event that is too much for the client to handle.

Summary

If you feel you are ready to gain control over your life and move forward living with new positive outlooks, EMDR will be right for you. You can only be so prepared for the emotions, but so long as the will to change is stronger, it will all be worth it.

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