What is EMDR?
What can I expect in EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) therapy?
Your best friend or even your traditional talk therapist has recommended it. Celebrities have shared success stories. It's been on your to-do list to try. So, what is EMDR exactly?
Let's talk about it in terms of what to expect:
EMDR is a highly individualized experience.
The open-ended nature of the process (i.e., I can't predict whether you call to mind images, experience sensations, and so forth and I definitely can't predict the content of what emerges) can inspire some doubt. For the perfectionists out there, I see you: I promise you aren't doing it wrong. To that end,
Therapeutic alliance is paramount
Since I'm supporting you feeling safe to experience what is essentially the unknown, I want you to feel safety first in the therapeutic relationship. Please ask questions, share doubts, challenge me. Well before any reprocessing, we will begin our work together by creating foundational resources which includes ego state work. I want to make sure the part of you with teenage fury and defiance, the timid kindergartener, and the emboldened young adult are all on board with the process. When we are compassionate with ourselves, we can trust ourselves. Can you access a sense of contentment? What does that look like in your day to day?
When and where and in which circumstances are you your most curious, content, and comparatively calm?
When we have a solid foundation of this grounded observant part of you and you feel confident in accessing that state, we will begin the reprocessing stage of EMDR. In this stage, we will use bilateral stimulation (eye movements side to side, tappers, headphones with bilateral tones, and so forth) to create a dual attention - one foot in the memory and one foot safely in the here and now.
What if I feel worse??
As we continue this process, you can expect to experience the memory or negative core belief as less present, more distant, neutral even. That said, it is normal for the emotions to feel bigger temporarily as we move through a target. We may add in more resources, incorporate complementary supportive strategies outside of session, or switch up the protocol. We have numerous tools at our disposal and creativity works in our favor. (This, for instance, is where you may prefer to work within an intensive or extended session format so we are more likely to be clearing a target by the close of the session. You can read more about that here: https://uproarcounseling.com/is-an-intensive-right-for-me)
And how do I know if it's working?
Over time, with the distress less insistent and your brain trusting that the danger is over, you may notice the impacts in a reflective way. "I would have been scared in that situation but I didn't even think about it." "It's hard to even remember avoiding that place like I used to." I want you to feel confident in this decision; it's a powerful one. Please don't hesitate to reach out. I want to make sure you feel confident in this being the next right step.