EMDR has gained increasing popularity over the past decades. What started out as a treatment developed in the 1970’s for Vietnam vets returning from war, has now become a widely used and popular trauma-informed modality for not only trauma but also for anxiety, phobias, and distressing life experiences.
I’ve been using EMDR with clients for over a decade and these are the most common myths I’ve encountered.
Myth #1: Is EMDR hypnosis? That wand you use looks like it’s for hypnosis!
- EMDR is not hypnosis
- Hypnosis places you in a deep state of relaxation and suggestibility while in EMDR you are fully awake, aware and in control
- In EMDR you can stop at any time and converse with your therapist throughout
- EMDR relies on eye movements or bi-lateral stimulation to activate both hemispheres of the brain. Therapists can use light fixtures, sounds, tappers, fingers or wands to achieve this. In my office I use a wand or tapping for optimal results.
Myth #2: Will I have to relive my trauma all over again?
- EMDR employs an eight-phase model. Before we begin any processing, we make sure your brain feels fully supported and able to maintain your window of tolerance. We don’t move forward if your brain doesn’t feel safe or ready.
- We will be looking at the files of trauma in your brain but it will feel completely different than when the original trauma occurred.
- Your brain and body will be able to fully release the feelings this time and make sense of it in a new light.
- It does not feel like reliving your trauma, rather watching it happen from a different perspective.
Myth #3: EMDR is only for people with severe PTSD
While EMDR was originally created for PTSD, research has also shown high effectiveness for a number of other symptoms including:
- Anxiety
- Panic attacks
- Childhood emotional neglect
- Grief
- Phobias
- Performance anxiety
- Low self-esteem
- Relational trauma
- Distressing memories
- Nightmares
- Negative beliefs
Myth #4: Will EMDR erase my memories of the bad event? Will it cause false memories?
- Definitely not. EMDR helps your brain reprocess the memory or event, not erase it.
- EMDR does not alter memories in any way. It does not cause false memories.
- EMDR helps your memory to integrate the event or experience in a more adaptive way and decrease the related emotional charge. It helps support clarity and resolution.
Myth #5: Is EMDR a quick fix? Can we do it in a couple sessions?
- Although many clients are surprised by how quickly some of the EMDR targets are resolved, EMDR is not a quick fix.
- Preparation and readiness are key elements of the eight phase process so we often spend time building your brain’s resources before we begin processing memories. Rushing this step will often cause your brain’s defenses to get activated which will significantly slow down the processing phase later.
- Childhood, relational and attachment traumas often are more complicated and take time to process rather than single event traumas. I allow as much time as the brain needs to re-wire these core experiences.
- With all of that said, however, many clients find that a few sessions of EMDR help resolve past issues that years of talk therapy could not address. One of the many reasons I find EMDR tools to be of great value.
If you’re interested in learning more about EMDR therapy and if it can be of help to you, please don’t hesitate to reach out via our contact forms.