Many people find EMDR therapy to be helpful because it can accelerate your healing. This doesn’t mean it’s a quick fix, it simply means it can help you process some things more effectively.
As you’re deciding if EMDR therapy is right for you, it’s important to consider how long you’ll need to be in treatment to get the best results.
The length of therapy can always depend on your unique situation.
If you’ve been engaging in therapy for a long time, you may be able to feel the effects of EMDR therapy more rapidly. If you’re experiencing therapy for the first time it may take a little longer to prepare for the work.
A general rule of thumb is that it will take at least 10-12 sessions to see the effects of EMDR therapy.
EMDR therapy has what’s known as the 8 Phases of EMDR Treatment, which is simply a way to describe the process your therapist will use during EMDR therapy.
These 8 phases of EMDR therapy are:
- Getting a history of your life experiences
- Preparing you to work through some negative experiences in your past
- Determining what past experiences you will need to work through
- Working through some of these old memories
- Implementing more positive beliefs or strengths
- Working through any physical symptoms from your thoughts
- Finding closure for these past negative memories
- Reevaluating each session to make sure processing was successful
EMDR therapy is a unique form of therapy.
Traditional types of therapy are often referred to as Talk Therapy.
One of the things that makes EMDR unique is that there is less verbal processing involved.
The way that EMDR therapy works is by activating your body’s own psychological healing abilities. When this happens you’re emotions and thoughts are allowed to process things without actually talking about what you’re experiencing.
This can be valuable if you’ve experienced something that’s too painful for you to discuss. EMDR can be effective without you having to share much detail about what happened.
This doesn’t mean talking is not involved. Talking is more limited and you’re using a technique known as free association during EMDR.
If you’ve tried other types of therapy and haven’t found the success you’re looking for, EMDR therapy might be a good option for you to consider.
Before you engage with any type of therapy it’s always a good idea to talk with other professionals.
You can call a therapist that practices EMDR therapy to get a better idea of how it works, and if it might be the right type of treatment for you.
Talking with other professionals such as your doctor, psychiatrist, or chiropractor could be a good way to begin exploring this treatment option and seeing if they recommend anyone to you.
The internet can offer a lot of information but finding the most accurate and helpful information about EMDR therapy might be challenging.
As a therapist I believe in EMDR therapy because of the positive impact it’s had on my own life. You can check out another article I wrote about how EMDR therapy changed my life.
I provideEMDR therapy in Denver, Colorado and would be happy to answer any questions you might have.
