Your brain wants to heal itself. An EMDR therapist’s primary goal is to help you cope with trauma symptoms and overwhelming emotions. As well as, behaviors that continue to sabotage your perceptions, relationships, and goals. This approach provides a means of processing difficult life events completely and productively.
This proven therapy can create an environment where distress fades.
Traumatic events are simply observed with a minimum amount of verbalization, which allows you the freedom to grow. So, ultimately the question is: who is qualified to help you process your pain so thoroughly and effectively that it becomes a growth experience and nothing more?Will any therapist do?How will you find them?And what can you expect when you do?
How to Find an EMDR Therapist
When beginning your search, keep in mind that EMDR therapy requires specific skill and the confidence to employ them for your optimal benefit. In general, be sure that you look for a therapist who is comfortable and well-suited to working with trauma sufferers. All in all, to determine a good therapeutic fit, it is important that you understand which questions to ask and which credentials to seek.
To start, you want to look for strength of training and experience.
Though EMDR is becoming more and more valued and mainstream, this non-traditional and less-verbal approach may seem to lend itself to less stringent or professional standards. Not so!
Be sure to research reputable mental health professionals for your EMDR sessions. As you narrow your options, seek out a licensed, seasoned therapist, social worker, professional counselor or similar mental-health professional.
They should have supplementary training and specific certification in EMDR.You may want to look at the EMDR International Association (EMDRIA) to investigate therapists or get a feel of the varying degrees of experience and expertise available. It is important to find a therapist whose educational background and participation in the trauma and EMDR fields meet your needs.
Locate someone with available and trustworthy referrals
In addition to locating an EMDR therapist with the appropriate training, experience, and strategy, community reputation is key. Ask for and verify references. Don’t hesitate to call upon past clients for opinions and general information regarding the nature of EMDR work with the therapist in question. Also, read reviews and testimonials. Be very sure, as well, that there are no questionable incidences or safety concerns in their background.
Ask about their professional connection to EMDR therapy
When considering a potential EMDR therapist, ask why they believe in this type of therapy. Do they have any particular ideas about the usefulness of EMDR in situations like yours?Also, ask them to share specifics about their EMDR successes. This way, you can get a clearer idea of how you will relate and whether he or she is able to articulate the principles of the method, as it relates to you, well.
Ask more questions
Try to interview at least a few therapists to get an idea of your rapport with each person and their receptivity to you.Consider asking the therapist some or all of the following questions:
Do you offer a free consultation?
Do you often work with my type of problem using EMDR?
How much EMDR therapy do you practice routinely?
How long are EMDR therapy sessions and treatment periods in general?
What will our EMDR therapy sessions look like?
What do you charge for an EMDR therapy session?
Following the interview, take a bit of time to think and ask yourself:
What feelings do I have about the interview?
Do I feel comfortable enough to proceed?
What is my gut telling me about this therapist?
Again, EMDR therapy involves little sharing and verbalizing of your trauma. Still, you do need to be able to talk to your therapist about the process and any concerns you have. Don’t be afraid to be direct and discuss whatever necessary. Be as clear as possible regarding the methods, processes, and the therapist’s willingness to maintain a pace that ensures you feel comfortable and in control.
Make sure you feel comfortable
Pay very close attention to the “fit” and comfort level experienced with a potential EMDR therapist. Listen closely, observe your own response, consider how you feel in the environment. Interestingly, research indicates that a huge predictor of successful therapy is the “fit” or quality of the relationship between therapist and client.
For example, how you feel when you are with them, settle in the space, and respond to the therapist's presentation matter.Definitely, consider the relationship factors seriously. EMDR has a physical component. Choose a therapist with whom you think trust-building, respect for your feelings, and the desire to firmly encourage progress and recovery are most apparent.
What to Expect from Time with Your EMDR Therapist
As you, briefly and generally, recall your trauma, your EMDR therapist can then help direct your attention toward related thoughts and emotions that are negatively affecting you. Together you will begin to replace distressing thoughts with more positive ideas and expectations without undue pressure or therapeutic homework.
Essentially, your therapist helps you make crucial mental connections. Then your emotional responses are transformed through bilateral stimulation. This is basically a regulated treatment that helps you focus on both past memories and present action to help you heal.
Generally, EMDR treatment session contains the following components:
Your EMDR therapist will ask you a set of questions to access and stimulate the negative occurrence as well as the more desired resolution.
Sets of rapid eye movement, hand gestures, tapping, or other forms of bilateral stimulation will be implemented.
You will be asked to let ideas, impressions, memories pass through your mind, allowing the brain to work through them.
Sets of bilateral stimulation will be rotated with brief descriptions about what you are experiencing.
EMDR processing continues until the negative past experience is updated with a positive, present perspective.
You and your therapist will combine your efforts your new insights and perspectives are merged into your daily life.
Consider too, the following concerns you may have regarding work with an EMDR therapist:
You may feel more. Heightened emotions and sensations may result as you process your trauma. However, your therapist will ensure that you are ready to safely and productively manage whatever arises. The advantage of EMDR is that once these feelings are processed they rarely return.
You are never under your therapist's control. EMDR is not hypnosis or any sort suggestive treatment to subversively plant ideas in your head. Trauma is processed. No event, memory or thought is erased or added. The goal is to simply reframe difficult experiences and remove the negativity associated with them.
You will likely find that treatment is relatively quick and effective. It is true that EMDR treatment time does depend on the complexity of your trauma, disorder, or anxiety. However, there is research to indicate that between 80 to 90% of people who experience single-incident trauma recover from PTSD after eight 50-minute EMDR sessions. Moreover, work with an EMDR therapist can produce lasting recovery in as few as 3-5 treatments.
Finally, please weigh EMDR in your search for relief. Trust your brain's ability to heal and your ability to live the unburdened life you're meant for.
If you would like some extra support and are looking for a psychotherapist, please contact us for a free consultation to learn about how we can be of service.
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