EMDR can sound unusual when you first hear about it. Moving your eyes from side to side while thinking about a difficult memory is probably not what most people imagine when they think of therapy.
Understandably, this has led to plenty of myths about what EMDR is, what happens during treatment and what it can achieve.
Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing (EMDR) is a structured psychological therapy. It is particularly well established as a treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), but it may also be used therapeutically with other difficulties connected to distressing experiences.
If you are considering EMDR but feel unsure about some of the things you have heard, here are some of the most common misconceptions.
Myth 1: EMDR is hypnosis
EMDR and hypnosis are not the same thing.
During EMDR, you remain awake and aware of what is happening. You can speak to your therapist, question something, change what you are focusing on or ask to pause.
You are not placed into a trance, and your therapist does not take control of your mind.
If the thought of losing control is making you nervous about treatment, What Happens in an EMDR Session? explains what you can actually expect.
Myth 2: EMDR is just moving your eyes
The eye movements tend to attract the most attention, but EMDR is much more than following a therapist’s fingers across the room.
EMDR is a structured therapy involving assessment, preparation and identifying appropriate memories or experiences to work with. During processing, you may use bilateral stimulation while briefly focusing on aspects of a distressing memory and noticing what emerges.
Eye movements are one form of bilateral stimulation, but alternatives can include alternating tapping or sounds.
Myth 3: You have to tell your therapist every detail of your trauma
This is one of the reasons some people are interested in EMDR.
You need to give your therapist enough information to understand what you are experiencing and work with you safely, but EMDR does not normally require you to provide a lengthy, detailed verbal description of everything that happened.
Some people find this reassuring when talking extensively about an experience feels particularly difficult.
That doesn’t mean you never talk during EMDR. It simply means that detailed retelling is not necessarily required for processing to take place.
Myth 4: EMDR erases traumatic memories
EMDR isn’t designed to delete memories.
You should still be able to remember what happened. The aim is for a distressing memory to become less disturbing and less likely to trigger the same intensity of emotional and physical response.
A memory might begin to feel more distant or clearly located in the past. You may know what happened without feeling like it is happening all over again.
Myth 5: EMDR works instantly
You may come across impressive accounts of people experiencing significant changes very quickly. That can create the impression that one EMDR session should resolve years of distress.
There is no responsible way to promise this.
The amount of therapy somebody needs can depend on what they have experienced, whether there is one particular event or many connected experiences, their current circumstances and how they respond to processing.
Long-standing or repeated experiences, including EMDR for Childhood Trauma, may involve a different therapeutic process from working with a single incident.
Myth 6: The more distressed you become, the better EMDR is working
No.
Processing a traumatic memory can bring up uncomfortable emotions, thoughts or physical sensations. However, becoming completely overwhelmed is not the goal.
EMDR should be appropriately assessed, prepared for and paced. If processing is repeatedly leaving you unable to cope, this needs attention rather than being interpreted as proof that therapy is working.
If this is something you are worried about, Can EMDR Make Things Worse? and EMDR Side Effects explore the subject in more detail.
Myth 7: EMDR is suitable for everyone
No therapy is automatically right for everybody.
Before beginning EMDR processing, your therapist should consider what you are experiencing, your history, current circumstances and whether EMDR can be used appropriately and safely.
Sometimes more preparation is useful before working directly with particular memories. In other situations, a different therapeutic approach may be more appropriate.
My guide, Is EMDR Right for Me? looks more closely at what you might want to consider before starting.
Considering EMDR Therapy?
You don’t need to understand every theory behind EMDR before contacting a therapist. It is perfectly reasonable to have questions, doubts, or concerns before deciding whether to try it.
I offer EMDR therapy face-to-face in Swansea and online across the UK. I also offer a free 30-minute consultation where we can discuss what you would like help with, answer your questions and consider whether EMDR may be appropriate for you.
