EMDR & ART Therapists

One of the things that makes EMDR so helpful is that it is applicable for a large variety of problems and people. When assessing if someone is a good candidate for EMDR, there are two central questions that need to be answered.

First: Is the person in the “here and now”? This means, is the person chronically dissociating, disconnected from reality, or struggling with severe delusions. EMDR would not be a good fit for people with these struggles because of their inability to focus, follow, and recall. These are crucially important when participating in EMDR.

Second: Is the person in a generally stable place in life right now? People that are participating in EMDR may uncover some very intense memories, emotions, and recollections of their past. These can be difficult to deal with. As long as the person is not in the midst of a major life crisis at the time of EMDR, they should be equipped with the skills and resources to handle those potential discoveries as part of the preparation for EMDR therapy. If the person is in the middle of a crisis, then putting themselves through a potentially intense therapeutic experience.

If the person is in the “here and now”, and is in a relatively stable place in life right now, then EMDR may be a good fit for their treatment plan.

EMDR is not hypnosis. In fact, they are very different therapies. EMDR is a type of therapy that uses bilateral stimulation to “heal” traumatic memories and the affects those events have on you today. There is some talking that is involved, preparation, intervention, and processing afterwards.

Hypnosis is a therapeutic modality that tries to influence one’s subconscious. It is built on the idea that, if you can allow the person to deeply relax, and remove the normal barriers of the conscious mind, a hypnotherapist can access the subconscious and influence it in a way that creates change.

While both modalities are focused on accessing powers in the brain, they are different in that EMDR activates mechanisms in the brain that help it heal, and hypnosis focuses on relaxation and touching the deep recesses of the mind.

There is a section of EMDR therapy that involves talking, and a part where talking is optional. Initially, the therapist has to converse with the client and learn about what is going on and how they can be helpful. Now, the client does not need to give specific details about traumatic events in their past, but they do need to talk over things in general. Additionally, before the processing part begins, the therapist needs to provide for the client resources, or skills, that they can use should something come up for them that is overwhelming or particularly emotionally intense. This would, of course, involve discussion and talking out loud.

When the actual emotional processing occurs, very, very little talking is needed. In fact, the client needs only to signal to the therapist that everything is okay and to keep going. If the client wants to talk about memories that are coming up for them, or insights they are developing, then they absolutely can. But, talking in depth is not required.

Yes, as EMDR is a modality used in psychotherapy, and psychotherapy is covered under insurance. EMDR is actually one of the modalities most insurance companies prefer psychotherapists use. So, when a provider uses EMDR, they are very likely to have those services covered by insurance.