[Phoenix_Rising]

Has anyone tried EMDR? I've been thinking about it and talking with my psychiatrist about doing it for awhile now it seems. Things in my life aren't calming down (or maybe I'm just not any better able to manage them) and I feel like I need to get something else on board therapy-wise. I'm a bit scared of it (feeling out of control) but everything I've found says that it is not hypnosis, that you are fully aware the entire time. I guess I just am looking for some BTDT kind of stories. If you have any, I'd love to hear them. Thanks in advance!

 

[shantimama]

I am doing EMDR in my therapy and it is an incredible tool. By the way, I have also done hypnosis a couple of times and my therapist was very clear that I would be aware of what was going on the whole time if that was what I wanted. The whole idea was to uncover secrets, not keep more secrets from myself. It was very different than I thought it would be. It just relaxed me in a way that I had more access to things I usually can't think about than I normally do.<br><br>
There is an EMDR website that has some good information and I know several books have been published about it.<br><br>
It is important to know what kind of training your psychiatrist has had with EMDR. There are two separate levels of EMDR training and any therapist, whether a psychiatrist or a social worker, has to complete the first and use it in their practise for a certain amount of time before they can go on and do the advanced training. Asking your psychiatrist what her/his training and experience are would be a good idea.<br><br>
The first level is great for working with people with 'simple' PTSD to work through traumatic events - things like a car accident, traumatic birth, rape, violent attack, surviving a natural disaster, etc. The advanced training is necessary before working with people who have complex PTSD or more severe dissociative disorders.<br><br>
My therapist was very experienced with both levels of EMDR but I still struggled at first. She found an EMDR supervisor who specializes in working with people who had severe ongoing childhood abuse. She helped my therapist adapt how to use the EMDR so that it could help me move forward instead of overwhelming me.<br><br>
If you have a good and strong relationship with your psychiatrist EMDR can be a huge help. That helps me feel less out of control when we use it to process really hard memories.<br><br>
In my experience EMDR does work - but it is hard work. Even though I know it works much faster than traditional talk therapy alone, it still feels slow sometimes <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="http://www.mothering.com/discussions/images/smilies/redface.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="Embarrassment">

 

[Ornery]

That is very interesting to hear Shantimama, thank you for posting. I am looking into doing EMDR and the therapist I've discussed it with only has his first level of training. He told me all about it but didn't tell me the difference in levels. He is doing his second level in July and I think I will wait until he completes his training.

 

[Phoenix_Rising]

Thanks, Shantimama. The person I am looking at doing EMDR with is not my psychiatrist, but is a LCP. She specializes in working with survivors of childhood abuse (among other things). I'll definitely ask her about her level of training. Do you happen to have a suggestion of some good books on EMDR? I'd like to do some more in depth looking into it before making a decision but I don't even know where to begin.

 

[rightkindofme]

I did EMDR to help me with the grieving process. I had my therapist of many years with whom I had a seriously intense relationship and one of my close friends both OD on heroin within a six month period followed by a miscarriage of a very wanted child. I was rather a mess for a bit. I did EMDR with a new-to-me therapist who specialized in it. I only saw her for a few visits and I felt like I was doing just fine with those specific issues.<br><br>
I'm actually going back to see her starting next week because I have other old 'stuff' coming up lately and I need some help with my depression. If you want I can report back on how it goes. <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="http://www.mothering.com/discussions/images/smilies/smile.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="smile">

 

[Labbemama]

I was a skeptic about EMDR, as by trade I am a professional counselor, but I had a kiddo on my caseload who was a rape victim and she saw an EMDR therapist and had a REMARKABLE turn around. I mean she had struggled for YEARS and within a few months she was doing great.<br><br>
I don't think it can hurt to give it a try, just check around about credentials and experience doing it to find a respected therapist.

 

[YayJennie]

I did EMDR with a therapist for about a year and it really helped me. However, I think it made things "worse" (harder to deal with) while I was going through the actual therapy. The sessions weren't so bad, but I think I dealt with a lot more flashbacks and depression while I was working through tough memories during the EMDR. But I would say it helped tremendously in the long run, and was completely worth it. I also did several talk therapy sessions with my therapist before starting the EMDR, and I think that was important for me. I built a relationship and trusted the therapist, and she knew my limits and was better able to serve me because we had a bit of background.<br><br>
Honestly, the EMDR was a few years ago, and I don't remember specifics of the actual therapy, but I do know the results were very good for me. I hope that helps.

 

[sparklefairy]

I have not -- I have a book on it, which is not really helpful to practice. But I was thinking about it today and this post of yours makes me think that we were both having the same thought for a reason.

 

[Sativarain1]

what is emdr?

 

[Freedom~Mama]

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<div style="font-style:italic;">what is emdr?</div>
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I was wondering this as well. <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="http://www.mothering.com/discussions/images/smilies/redface.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="Embarrassment">

 

[rightkindofme]

<a href="http://www.emdr.com/briefdes.htm" target="_blank">This</a> is a not so brief explanation of EMDR.<br><br>
I recently went through another round of EMDR trying to deal with some of my issues around my daughter's birth. I'm very impressed by how quickly EMDR helps me work through complicated, deeply rooted issues. My therapist tells me that part of the reason I process it as quickly as I do is because I have a fair bit of history with NLP and hypnosis.<br><br>
The way it works (in very very brief) is that you spend a bit of time figuring out what your current negative self beliefs are about whatever it is you are working on right that moment. What are your fears. You go through the crummy parts of it. Then you try to figure out what it is you want to believe, what you want your current state to be. Then you close your eyes and do some form of visualization (it's entirely self directed, the therapist doesn't say anything) while the therapist taps alternately on the outsides of your knees. There are specific procedures and questions that go along with this and I'm totally not doing them justice.<br><br>
It's really powerful. It sounds kind of weird and hokey but it works very well for some people. <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="http://www.mothering.com/discussions/images/smilies/smile.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="smile">

 

[shantimama]

Sometimes a therapist will tap your knees but not always. There is something about bilateral stimulation while processing the thoughts and memories that makes EMDR effective. It can be moving a hand back and forth across your line of vision, wearing headphones with a simple tone playing alternately in each ear, holding little hand buzzers that alternate or tracking a moving light on a light bar.<br><br>
EMDR has been thoroughly researched and I read somewhere is the most researched, documented and effective therapy for treating PTSD.<br><br>
My therapist has been using it for several years and she says that people who would have taken months or years to work through something now do it in weeks or months. Like someone else said, it is intense work while you are doing it, but at least it doesn't last forever. She has also said that she has seen traumatized children respond in just one or two sessions because their brains heal so quickly and because they do not have decades of ingrained fear, trauma and behaviour to deal with.