My experience of EMDR

I thought I would write a little bit about my experience of EMDR therapy and hopefully when they are ready some others will add their experiences to this post.

I think I first came across EMDR properly around 10 years ago, maybe a bit more. The comments I heard about it were negative, cynical and I made my own judgements accordingly. My views were compounded a few years later when I worked with a small group of women who had found EMDR traumatising. I was horrified to hear how they had felt abused by the process and how the services they were involved with compounded the problem by acting punitively with medication to squash their distress. I vowed to stay away.

Fast forward a few years (now my sense of time is rubbish and my ability to remember dates is atrocious) and I was again discussing with a wonderful client of mine about how best to help them to move forward with their complex trauma. After doing yet more research it seemed that EMDR might be a good shout so I booked myself onto the appropriate courses and managed to squash my usual attending training related anxiety and get through it.

What a revelation! Sure, it's a bizarre therapy and truth be told I really have no idea how it works but it is remarkably effective. Initially I was terrified of using it (the memories of the women from the past still haunt me) but gradually it has become an integral part of the therapy I do.

I've seen people have amazing results using EMDR to overcome early childhood experiences, single and complex trauma, change core beliefs, manage OCD and beat anxiety. It's amazing for changing sexual difficulties and for reducing self blame and shame. It's not an easy therapy (I have never been scowled and growled at as much as I have when using EMDR) however their are so many creative ways of using it to build resources and to process memories I can't imagine not having it in my toolkit. I love how it fits nicely with my other go to therapies of Schema Therapy and Compassion Focused Therapy too.

It's not just for single event trauma and I would really recommend considering it if you are looking to embark on a new therapy journey. It's not for everyone of course, no therapy works for all. And the most important factor is finding a therapist who suits you. But don't do what I did and discount it without giving it a chance.