How do I prepare for an EMDR session?
So what can you, the client, do to begin to prepare for EMDR?
- Know your support system.
- Engage in some kind of stress reducing body movement each day.
- Try to get into the habit of taking ten minutes each day to practice breathing exercises or meditation.
- Try to start a gratitude journal.
What do you do during EMDR?
During EMDR therapy sessions, you relive traumatic or triggering experiences in brief doses while the therapist directs your eye movements. EMDR is thought to be effective because recalling distressing events is often less emotionally upsetting when your attention is diverted.
Is EMDR a good therapy?
EMDR therapy has proven to be effective in treating trauma and PTSD . It may also be able to help treat other mental conditions like anxiety, depression, and panic disorders. Some people may prefer this treatment to prescription medications, which can have unexpected side effects.
What makes a good EMDR therapist?
A good EMDR therapist understands how EMDR works and will know how to explain it to clients so that they understand the process. Does the EMDR therapist rush into the EMDR, or do they start by spending time teaching you coping strategies and making certain you can manage the process of doing the EMDR?
What are the dangers of EMDR therapy?
That said, there are some side effects that you may experience. EMDR therapy causes a heightened awareness of thinking which does not end immediately when a session does. This can cause light-headedness. It can also cause vivid, realistic dreams. It often takes several sessions to treat PTSD with EMDR therapy.
What is EMDR therapy feels like?
EMDR repeatedly stimulates the hemispheres (left and right sides) of your brain so it’s only natural that afterwards you’ll maybe feel a bit funny. Some people report this as feeling like sort of a vibration in their chest and abdomen , while others say that it feel more like having a couple glasses of wine.