Clinical experiences of using EMDR therapy

I have been a therapist for many years but am relatively newly qualified (approx. 1 year ago) in Eye Movement Desensitisation Reprocessing (EMDR) therapy. In brief EMDR is a psychotherapy that enables people to heal from the symptoms and emotional distress that are the result of disturbing life events. It is an 8-phase treatment using eye movements (or other bilateral stimulation) to target the difficult memory. Research on EMDR therapy argues that the mind can heal from psychological trauma by removing blocks that can aid healing. This is akin to how the body can heal from a physical trauma, such as when you may cut your hand and your body works to close the wound (emdr.com).

I have had previous personal benefits from receiving EMDR therapy so have a good understanding of how clients may feel undergoing such a process. In addition to this I also felt being able to provide this therapy was going to enhance my therapeutic skills and offer a broader range of methods I could use to help my clients. This has helped my confidence in working with a range of difficulties that client's may bring to therapy.

I think one of the misunderstandings with accessing such therapy can be underestimating what different people may experience as a trauma. We all process factors affecting us individually, therefore, the meaning of trauma can vary for different people based on how they understand and process difficulties they have experienced. In brief anything negative we experience in life could feel traumatic to us.

There is a lot of research to support the positive effects of conducting EMDR therapy with a PTSD diagnosis. The NICE guidelines of 2018 suggest ways of where and when this could be suitable to offer, the number of sessions that may be appropriate along with the professional training of the clinician who could offer this. More than anything this validates that the therapy is effective and suitable for people who have experienced traumas.

In my experience of conducting EMDR, some of the feedback that I have received from clients includes how the tapping process used within sessions can be tiring especially if they struggle with fatigue. This is along with the challenge of enduring the emotional pain whilst going through the actual processing part, which I have found on occasions to be the most difficult aspect to manage.

However, with good clinical supervision I am learning effective ways of how to deal with this better. I can't stress enough the importance of clinical supervision! When clients notice how certain things don't feel as raw and upsetting anymore, that their mood has lifted and consequently their quality of life is improving, this is a great feeling of an achievement. Sometimes quantifying levels of improvement can give great hope, not only to the client but to the therapist too when reviewing their outcome measures. These are just a few broad themes that I have noticed but I'm sure there will be plenty more to come in time...

On reflection I am glad that I have trained in EMDR therapy. I'm pleased to report most clients I have worked with have benefitted from it. One challenge is my frustration of wanting this to help everyone who I try it with due to my personal positive experience. However, this has been addressed in my clinical supervision and I am mindful of this in the therapy room too.

Due to the pandemic I had to learn how to use this therapy online and I too have been using it with my clients via video calls as well as in person. I can't say I have noticed if I have a preference but sometimes with video calls you can't always see how the client is using the tapping techniques but in general that does not seem to have been a problem. I am looking forward now to becoming a more experienced EMDR therapist and using it to help as many people as possible.