Emdr....

[Imnobodywhoareyou]

My "T" is getting certified.in EMDR next month and really thinks it will help me. I'm nervous about trying it, and I guess I'm looking for some feedback about what questionsI should ask to be prepared and how it can help and what your experiences have been or are with it. I'm willing to try anything to help with the debilitating anxiety, flashbacks, night terrors, and physical "fight or flight"reactions. Thanks in advance.

 

[Friday]

Do you have a fairly simple / 1 off kind of trauma? Rape, MVA, et cetera? If so, that's really exciting that you'll be able to continue on with your therapist. If not, and you've got long term repeated or complex trauma, you do not want to be a newly certified EMDR therapists first client. Been there, done that! My (amazing) MFT therapist was moving more towards Trauma therapy and was getting certified in EMDR / wanted me to be his clinical hours. Which would have been a reeeeeally bad idea. For both of us. He just didn't have the training/experience to know that when he asked me, nor did he know my whole history. So that would be the foundational questions I would ask; of your therapist & yourself; if your trauma history and his training line up as a good match.

 

[Deleted member 34328]

I agree with @Friday depending on what your trauma entails, I'm not sure I would be comfortable being a first candidate with a newly certified Therapist. Perhaps an experienced trauma therapist would be familiar with various methods and someone you can trust to already know the basics of what is needed best for your particular needs... I'm very well versed in the desperate feelings of escaping the flashbacks, nightmares etc... being willing to try just about anything to make it stop.

I'm not a candidate for EMDR therapy, so no opinion on that. I just think you need to have already developed a strong foundation of trust with your therapist before agreeing to trying out as a "guinea pig" in a method that's never been tried by your therapist.

 

[Imnobodywhoareyou]

I have a long history of abuse with the last one being the reason I started therapy. My T is becoming a LMFT but does have 20 years as a social worker specializing in trauma. That would be the only reason why I would be okay with it.

 

[Deleted member 34328]

That's good. Hopefully it'll help you.

 

[EveHarrington]

I have a long history of abuse with the last one being the reason I started therapy. My T is becom...

I don't think that really matters. I mean you'll still be her Guinea pig and if problems arise, she won't know how to handle them. She's new to this type of therapy. Given your trauma background is find someone experienced with EMDR, not a newbie.

 

[joeylittle]

My T is becoming a LMFT but does have 20 years as a social worker specializing in trauma.

Are you good with regulating yourself? In other words, when you start to have intrusive memories, or thoughts about the trauma, can you keep yourself grounded without help?

And, does your therapist know your entire trauma history, or just this recent event? Is she suggesting EMDR on the recent event, or on your entire background? They generally prefer to go back to the first trauma, chronologically; however, if there's no significant relationship between your recent trauma and your history, and if you are not suffering any PTSD symptoms connected to your history, then that makes things a little more straightforward.

(What you risk is that, in processing the current trauma, you awaken issues that source from your past trauma. That would be a mess.)

I think if you feel solid in your own regulation skills and stability, and you are not affected by your past trauma in a way that relates to your recent trauma, and your therapist knows your entire history in detail, then it could be worth giving it a try. It's a fair question to ask her how her resources are, if she needs to consult on your case or needs supervision.

 

[Imnobodywhoareyou]

I do pretty well with regulating myself and staying grounded. She knows my trauma history, and my ptsd symptoms are related to my most recent trauma. Her suggestion is that emdr is.used to treat the most recent trauma. IF it brings up pasr.trauma in a way that is detrimental to me, we will discontinue the emdr, and she will consult her supervisor (who I will meet/see this week) to assist with getting me through it

 

[BlueOrange]

Sounds like a good plan. Expect to find your limits tested when it comes to dealing with uncomfortable feelings. Some part of you is very afraid of the feelings that are likely to come up in the EMDR session.

 

[Imnobodywhoareyou]

I am absolutely terrified of those feelings. I've never really allowed myself to go there and deal with them. I typically dissociate from those feelings...

 

[Freedomfighter]

My "T" is getting certified.in EMDR next month and really thinks it will help me. I'm nervous abou...

You can prepare yourself by practicing visual and audio EMDR. There are many mini sessions on U Tube.
I tried some of those. I was surprised how I reacted. The session itself is easy and it did help to move those gears in my brain, I could tell.

But the next day I had severe anxiety all day and I think it may have had to do with the fact that EMDR forced my brain to digest many things. It was totally weird. But I am not giving up, I will continue to practice these, just like training muscles, eventually there is improvement.

I just hope that the severe anxiety lessens over time.