EMDR is my favorite thing to nerd out about as a therapist. I love to see the impact it has on my clients and for them to find relief from the things they are struggling with. I love to see the women I work with in therapy feel the weight lifted they’ve had on their shoulders for so long. That’s why I love EMDR and love to use it in my therapy practice. Love, love, love.
If you are just now learning about EMDR, you can learn more about it here. The short version is that EMDR uses something called bilateral stimulation to help efficiently process memories. Some therapists use eye movements, light bars, or handheld tappers as bilateral stimulation. It’s not as wild or complicated as it sounds. Tapping your legs back and forth, reading lines in a book, snapping your fingers alternatively, and even walking are all forms of bilateral stimulation.
Is EMDR therapy for me?
EMDR helps people work through those experiences that still bother them. These are the experiences where you feel that rush of emotion come up whenever you even think about it. You might feel that lump in your throat or tightness in your chest when you try to talk about them. You might feel those butterflies moving around in your stomach and not in a good way when it comes to these experiences. The memories and experiences you try not to even think about are the ones that likely are still painful and unprocessed in your brain. EMDR is used to treat trauma but also to treat the negative beliefs you have about yourself and the things that trigger you.
One of the reasons why people love EMDR is because they don’t have to share in much detail with the therapist what they are experiencing. It’s horrifying for some people to try and share some of the worst experiences of their lives with someone else. Some people find healing in people about to talk about it. Either way with EMDR, you can share as much or as little as you feel like and still have the lasting benefits.
Is EMDR therapy like hypnosis?
Not at all. In EMDR it’s important that you are connected and present with your body. You don’t go into a trance or and you are conscious. There are no smoke and mirrors, and it’s a relatively simple process. It’s an evidenced-based practice meaning that there have been many legitimate research studies done on it and find it to be effective at processing big things.
Am I ready for EMDR therapy?
Those that are ready for EMDR are those that can sit with some temporary discomfort without dissociating or avoiding the memory. This isn’t always something people are fully aware that they do because it’s how they have coped with it so long. People that feel like they float away as soon as they think about it will likely need some preparation. In order to start EMDR processing, we make sure you have coping skills to use and feel like you can handle your emotions. It’s also important you feel like this is something you want to do and not feel like you are pleasing me as your therapist or someone else in your life. You have all the control in this process.
What does an EMDR therapy session look like?
EMDR is a process and might take a few sessions to prepare for. We focus first on giving you a couple of coping skills or making sure you have some of your own you feel are helpful. Some people find they don’t even need the coping skills, but it’s important to ensure you have them just in case. To begin, I will ask you a few questions about the memory you’ve chosen to work on. I’ll ask you about the part of the memory that seems the worst, the emotions you feel when you think about it, rating how much it bothers you, and where you feel it in your body. I will ask about the negative thoughts you have about yourself and what you would like to think instead.
After we get the answers to these questions, then we begin. You’ll hold those little black tappers, and I will have you think about the answers to those questions, and we just let your brain go where it wants to go. We will check in about every 45-60 seconds, and I’ll ask you what you are noticing, and we do this until you can get it all out. During this process, as the therapist, I’m pretty quiet as EMDR has an emphasis on letting your brain go where it wants to go without the therapist getting in the way. At the end of the session, you and I will talk about what you experienced and any shifts in beliefs and feelings you noticed. We will discuss how you can use your coping skills if needed. It is also very common for people to feel tired after EMDR.
How long does EMDR therapy take?
This is always tricky for me to answer because everyone’s brain works differently, and sometimes the memory you are working on has other memories that go along with it. On average per memory, it takes about 1-3 sessions to work through. Sometimes it brings up other experiences you want to work through as well.
How do I know if I’m doing EMDR therapy right?
There is no right or wrong way of doing EMDR. We are just noticing what comes up in our brains and being aware of it. Bilateral stimulation is the secret sauce that helps you work through the memory. If you were not making progress or stuck on something, I would help you get through it. Otherwise, it’s free association during your process, and get just to see what your brain comes up with.
EMDR can be a powerful and healing process for people. I recommend trying it to everyone interested in it and feels adequately prepared to do so. There is no experience too big or too small to use on EMDR. Many times, the experiences that don’t seem that significant end up impacting us without realizing it. It doesn’t have to be a traumatic experience to use EMDR because it will work regardless of what it is.
Ready to try EMDR therapy in Utah?
You don’t have to keep replaying the negative experiences you’ve been through. You can move beyond the negative thoughts you have about yourself. This Utah County Counseling Center has an EMDR therapist that can help. To begin therapy, follow the steps below:
Meet with an EMDR therapist in Utah
Find relief from trauma
Online EMDR Therapy in Utah
You can have access to EMDR therapy through online therapy in Utah. This allows you to work through your trauma with a therapist with specialized training in EMDR. It’s safe, convenient, and just as effective as in-person therapy. Some people have even better experiences with online EMDR versus in-person.
I work with clients in Logan, St. George, Cedar City, Heber, Salt Lake City, and more.
Other Mental Health Services offered by Maple Canyon Therapy
EMDR Therapy isn’t the only mental health counseling service provided at this Utah Counseling Practice. Other mental health services provided by Maple Canyon Therapy include anxiety therapy, body image therapy, binge eating disorder treatment, eating disorder therapy, and birth trauma therapy in Utah.
About the Author
Ashlee Hunt LCSW is a licensed therapist at Maple Canyon Therapy, located in Spanish Fork, Utah. Ashlee holds a bachelor’s degree in Psychology, a bachelor’s degree in Family Life and Human Development, and a master’s in social work. Ashlee has extensive training and experience in treating eating disorders, anxiety, and trauma and works primarily with women. Ashlee is EMDR trained and utilizes EMDR to help people find greater peace in life.