Is EMDR Right For You? 5 Ways To Tell
First off, let’s start with what EMDR is.
EMDR stands for eye movement desensitization and reprocessing.
EMDR therapy helps your brain slow down and process information, allowing a release of emotional experiences that are trapped in the nervous system.
Here are 5 signs you’re a good fit and/or ready for EMDR therapy:
1. You’re able to be present with emotions that are related to the issue you’re wanting to work through.
If you experience dissociation when presented with these memories or emotions, it may mean that doing some pre-work before you jump into EMDR therapy could be a good idea.
If you’re not sure how you respond to your memories or emotions, starting therapy to find out is a great first step. Even if you do not start with EMDR right away, talk therapy with an EMDR trained therapist is a great way to get insight into seeing if EMDR could be a good fit for you later on down the road.
2. You're wanting (and ready for) a therapy that is proven to work efficiently
For many of us, we have busy lives and we’ve done some of the work to process through our emotions and know that taking the next step into really getting down to reprocessing past trauma or difficult memories is essential to showing up the way we want to in our relationships, work-life, and for ourselves. If you’re wanting a therapy that is proven to work quickly EMDR could be a good fit for you. Although EMDR is by no means a “quick fix” and everyone will respond differently, it can pinpoint aspects of the brain in ways other therapies cannot, making it the “gold standard” for treating issues like trauma.
3. You’re experiencing/have experienced any of the following:
-Trauma/PTSD
-Anxiety
-Chronic pain
-Childhood trauma
-Unresolved grief
-Eating disorders
-Addiction
-Phobias/fears
These are some of the most common reasons people seek EMDR therapy. If you’re not sure if any of these fit into what you’re experiencing but are still interested in EMDR, go ahead and book a free consult call with us and see if EMDR could still be a good fit for you.
4. Once in EMDR therapy, you don’t feel overwhelmed
EMDR therapy should not feel overwhelming. If you start EMDR and you notice you’re feeling “hijacked” by your emotions or memories and can’t stay present with them, bring this up with your therapist so you can work together to find what works best for you. Your therapist will not continue EMDR if it isn’t helpful, and going back to talk therapy is perfectly ok. If you want to try it again in the future, just let your therapist know and they can work with you to reintroduce it again.
5. You’ve tried other therapy and it just doesn’t seem to be helping
Traditional talk therapy, even when incorporating mindfulness, movement, art, etc. can be very helpful, but still not get to the root of what you’re needing to heal. If you’ve tried other therapies and they haven’t seemed to significantly reduce your symptoms, you could be a good candidate for EMDR.
And because EMDR can be misunderstood, we’ve included common misconceptions about it:
1. It’s the same thing as hypnosis.
During EMDR therapy you are awake and conscious the entire time. You are completely in control during the entirety of the session and can ask to stop at any time or change course.
2. You’ll have to get “thrown into” processing difficult things right away.
Just like with traditional talk therapy, you don’t have to jump into processing mode right off the bat. Your therapist will take time to get to know you and your goals, creating a safe and calming space.
3. It’s the only therapy that can be used if I ask for it.
Nope! EMDR can be used in one session and not the next. You can always tell your clinician if you’d like to hold off for a while and then begin again later. There are no rules as to how often it needs to be done.
4. It’s only for trauma.
EMDR is proven to be very effective for trauma, but it has also been proven to treat other issues like we mentioned above:
-Anxiety
-Chronic pain
-Unresolved grief
-Eating disorders
-Addiction
-Phobias/fears
5. My therapist will assess how many sessions I need.
Your therapist can give you an idea of how many EMDR sessions can typically be helpful, but as everyone is unique in their experiences and what works best for them, there is no “magic number” to how many sessions it will take to start feeling better. EMDR is an incredible treatment as it can work much faster than other therapies, but going in with an open mind to what this looks like for you is important.
6. It’s a “woo woo” type of therapy and isn’t really evidence-based or heavily researched.
EMDR is one of the most researched therapies in the world. In fact, the World Health Organization has recognized EMDR as a first-choice treatment for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder.
EMDR therapy is proven to be effective, but it’s not for everyone. Understanding what it is and if you could be a good candidate is important. If you’re still wanting to know more about EMDR, we’d love to answer any of your questions!
Sign up for a free 15-minute consult call with one of our EMDR trained therapists today!
