Bad Emdr Therapy Almost Cost Me My Life

[Born to Run]

I am really sorry to read your story.

I was thinking that since you have such a negative experience with EMDR therapy, there are other type of therapies available for complex ptsd. It could very well be that you are aware of that, but just wanted to mention it. My therapist, who is an experienced trauma therapist, no longer uses EMDR for complex ptsd as he finds it difficult to control the degree to what comes up in a patient. The methods we work with are somatic experiencing and ego state therapy.

I hope you can leave this episode behind you, as you deserve much better than what you have experienced.

 

[Distorted-lullabies]

I am really sorry to read your story.

I was thinking that since you have such a negative experienc...

I appreciate you taking the time to share that with me. I will definitely take into consideration what your T shared with you about emdr and complex ptsd.

How do you like somatic experiencing? My new T says we'll do some ego states work. What is that like? Thanks so much

 

[Born to Run]

Thank you, I am glad this was helpful for you.

I am an advocate of somatic experiencing as to me it is absolutely the best therapeutic method for trauma ever. I have done 20 years of therapy prior to trauma therapy, as I only was depressed before and no one could even know I had ptsd, since I did not remember anything. Talk therapy never really did much. With SE I was able to remember everything, and process it, the latter still ongoing.

Ego state therapy is also a great method; in my case mostly used when SE was not possible. Ego state is not working with your body, but with a specific ego state, which in a light trance state you can visualise and work with. I find it much more difficult to explain than SE. In the beginning I found it difficult to believe that it worked as you work with visualisation, but it really does. For example you are trapped in a place as a small child -ego state-, you visualise this and you imagine helpers to get you out of that place, choose anyone and any method to get out, and see this happening in your mind, and after this you -the specific ego state- are really out of that place. My therapist usually helps with suggesting helpers and methods to get out, which is very helpful.

Good luck with your new therapist and therapy :-)