Three Ways EMDR May Be Right For You
When Jeff** walked into my office with anxiety and triggers stemming back from when he was sexually abused as a child by one of his parents, I knew I had to give him an opportunity to learn about EMDR and how it could be beneficial for him. Jeff was desperate to feel better at this point in his adult life from the abuse he endured at such a young age, so he was happy to learn about this therapeutic approach and decided to give it a shot. After a few weeks, Jeff noticed a drastic difference in his symptoms. He noticed his anxiety had decreased, he wasn’t thinking of the abuse as often, and when he did think of the abuse, it did not affect him as it did before. Upon completing EMDR and all of its phases, Jeff exuded a new calmness he hadn’t felt in a very long time. Seeing clients transform in this way creates a drive to continue doing this work and providing EMDR for my clients who will benefit from it.
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) may seem confusing or like a "magic trick,” when it comes to finding a way to feel better. Understandably so! How could just moving your eyes back and forth, listening to some clicks in your ears, or feeling buzzing in your hands make those awful feelings or symptoms lessen? Actually, there has been empirically backed research conducted to prove that EMDR is NOT confusing or some type of magic trick. Throughout my work with clients who have experienced varying degrees of trauma, EMDR has been quite the tool in their progress and feeling successful in therapy. To hear “I can’t believe I feel a lot better!” or “I actually have space to think about other things now instead of always thinking about what happened to me,” has been transformational. If you are still on the fence of deciding if you would like to try EMDR, please see three reasons below that it may be right for you.
YOU DO NOT NEED TO TALK ABOUT YOUR TRAUMA. If you struggle with saying what has happened to you, it is not necessary to disclose the details. EMDR will continue to work as it is reprocessing the memory in your brain through the bilateral stimulation (eye movements, tappers, listening to clicks).
EMDR CAN BE COMPLETED IN FEWER SESSIONS THAN TALK THERAPY. If financially you cannot afford ongoing therapeutic services but suffer from the trauma you have endured, EMDR is a great tool to utilize, as it is faster and more efficient than regular talk therapy. There is no set amount of sessions since each person and their trauma is different; however, EMDR sessions are typically significantly less in time than talk therapy.
EMDR CAN BE USED FOR ANXIETY, PHOBIAS, AND PANIC IN ADDITION TO TRAUMA. EMDR is not just for trauma. It can be incredibly helpful for people who deal with anxiety, phobias, or panic as well and reduce those symptoms greatly.
If you feel that you could possibly benefit from EMDR, please reach out to an EMDRIA trained clinician for further discussion. Being a clinician that utilizes EMDR with clients regularly, I have seen transformations in individuals that makes this work even more important for me knowing it is realistic, attainable, and research based. I am located in the Fort Myers, Florida (Lee County) area for in person therapy but am able to see anyone located in Florida virtually. If you believe I could be a good fit for you with this type of therapy, please do not hesitate to reach out!
**names and details have been altered to protect client’s information