Is EMDR Therapy right for you? A West Hollywood Trauma Therapist explains who benefits from this Modality—and who doesn’t

EMDR has gained a lot of popularity recently, with famous figures like Prince Harry and Sandra Bullock publicly sharing their experiences with the therapy. Many folks are now curious about trying EMDR, but they don’t know if EMDR is actually right for them. The truth is EMDR is a trauma therapy that has now been adapted to treat other anxiety disorders as well. But that doesn’t necessarily mean that anyone who has experienced trauma should do EMDR. As an attachment-focused EMDR certified therapist in West Hollywood, here are my suggestions for who should—and who shouldn’t—try EMDR therapy.

What is EMDR Therapy?

Let’s start by summarizing what EMDR is. EMDR is a trauma therapy originally designed to treat post-traumatic stress disorder, particularly among combat veterans. The therapy relies on bilateral stimulation (BLS) to facilitate the processing of trauma. Most therapists, especially attachment-focused EMDR therapists, use tapping as their method of bilateral stimulation. You can watch a quick demo video here to learn how the tapping method works.

Low Risk, High Reward

One of my favorite components of EMDR is its low-risk profile. Some techniques pose risks—risks that you have to weigh against the potential costs of the therapy. But with EMDR, you don’t have much to be concerned about. In my experience, the worst that can happen is that nothing happens. The therapy simply doesn’t improve your symptoms much. Sure, some folks may feel their anxiety increase during EMDR, but that’s to be expected with any trauma-focused therapy. Overall, there isn’t much to worry about.

Good & Bad EMDR Candidates

The good news is most folks are appropriate for EMDR. So if you are curious to try it, you probably can. But there are some folks who are less than ideal candidates for EMDR therapy. Here are some general pitfalls to be aware of.

Unable to Self-Soothe

You don’t have to be a meditation guru to do EMDR, but it’s important that you have some capacity for emotion regulation in order to benefit from this therapy. It goes without saying that anyone coming to therapy for trauma work likely feels dysregulated to some capacity. But EMDR can be tricky for folks who have almost no distress tolerance. With folks in this category, I would suggest building some skills before starting EMDR. DBT (dialectical behavior therapy) would be a better alternative. Once you’ve mastered those skills, then EMDR can be a great next phase of your treatment. I lean toward skill building first. If you’re unsure if you have this capacity, your therapist should be able to assess this during your first few sessions. It’s up to us to determine if a treatment is appropriate, so don’t put that burden on yourself.

Active Substance Use

This is where it gets tricky. There are some EMDR protocols specifically designed to help those in active addiction reduce cravings and usage. But most therapists will shy away from doing trauma therapy with someone who is actively using substances. I tend to agree. Substance use will likely interfere with the process. More insidiously, however, trauma therapy can actually make substance use worse—not better. How is that possible? Well, trauma therapy is activating. You’re exploring extremely painful experiences. It’s normal to feel some dysregulation during and after sessions. Unfortunately, if someone relies on substances to self-medicate emotional distress, you will likely see their addiction worsen in the trauma therapy process. I advise, even for clients without a history of addiction, to commit to a period of sobriety during trauma therapy. You don’t want anything to interfere with the hard work you’re doing.

Dissociation

Many folks worry that EMDR will be too activating (i.e., anxiety-inducing). What can actually be much more difficult to treat is EMDR-induced dissociation. Some folks will go through an EMDR session thinking that they are processing a traumatic event. But instead, they’re dissociated. They’re going through the motions in a detached way. So how will you know if you’re dissociating in session? Again, your therapist should be able to track that with you. But you can also be mindful of the following: do you feel floaty or spaced out? Do you suddenly feel tired and maybe even want to fall asleep? Are you having trouble staying connected emotionally to the memory you’re working through? If those sound right, then you have been dissociating. While dissociating during EMDR is not actually bad, it’s very important that you address it. One quick thing you can do is a simple grounding exercise, by rubbing your hands against the couch or just taking a sip of water. You may also want to keep your eyes open during the processing as well to keep yourself more alert.

Unrealistic Expectations

As with any therapeutic modality (or medical one for that matter), we typically approach the treatment with some expectations. Not only has EMDR gotten a lot of publicity in recent years; it’s gotten glowing publicity. Many people are sharing how EMDR changed their lives and cured PTSD symptoms that no other trauma therapy had been able to eradicate. While all of those claims may be true, I’ve noticed that EMDR’s reputation has left folks with high expectations. So I would be mindful of those as you approach this therapy. EMDR, like all therapies, isn’t a cure-all. It’s not perfect. It doesn’t “fix” anyone. But it can help. Also, EMDR takes time and dedication. Be prepared to commit to a process—a process with an unknown timeline. No therapist can tell you the exact number of EMDR sessions you will need because there’s simply no way to know that. What we can say definitely is that evidence shows that those who commit to the process do see results—very promising results.

EMDR Therapy in West Hollywood

My goal isn’t to dissuade anyone from trying EMDR. On the contrary, I’d like to reiterate that I think EMDR is a very effective and safe therapeutic modality. But it’s not without its limitations. Be sure that you are an appropriate candidate for EMDR before you invest your time and money.If you’re curious to learn more about EMDR, you can contact me to set up a complimentary consultation. You can also read more about my EMDR services here and my overall approach to trauma therapy here.