I tried it briefly, but at the time it caused internal chaos - but I'm very dissociative, so that is probably why?
sb

LJB,
I've never done it but there's a therapist who is a specialist in the modality (although she considers it one tool in her trauma treatment handbook) who has a blog. She is a trauma expert, she's literally written a couple of textbook's for therapists. She's how I originally found Psychcafe. Her name is Robin Shapiro and her is a link to her EMDR articles (although all of her posts are worth reading) Robin Shaprio - Trauma & Attachment Theory Hope that helps.

AG

Hi LJB,

I've done a fair bit of EMDR and it's hard to know what to say about it. It did resolve some of my trauma remarkably quickly. I found it a rough ride at the time, and I really struggled between sessions within a particular 'series'. Once we had a two-hour session and that was much better. Certainly doing it made me anxious too. But those traumas have never haunted me anything like as powerfully again.

I would say that if you are someone who is deep down seeking the healing of connection/attachment in the therapeutic relationship: it is not a substitute for that. It won't fill or remove that need, I believe. And yet I think there are therapists who don't understand or relate to that need (mine was one of them) who see EMDR and other short-mode treatments as a quick-fix or a cure-all. Something to be conscious of.

Thanks SB, Jones and AG. I appreciate your replies!

I thought I "liked" it....I found it interesting, the process of my thoughts as it progressed....but after a few sessions of it, my T never did it again, didn't offer, but did say if I wanted to I could ask....she felt I wasn't "strong enough" (something like that she said) to handle it....I guess I did end up almost in a fetal position during one session of it and she asked me if I wanted to stop, so I said yes, but I wasn't sure why I said that, and then noticed while reflecting on it that I was almost curled up in a ball on the chair. In any case, I found that it did help separate the emotions from the "pictures" of memories in my head....

Thanks for your reply, Ninn. We took a break for a while, now he would like to continue back with EMDR. But, like he says, it is always "my call" as far as what kind of modality we do in therapy.

He thought getting in touch with my "parts" would be a good thing to do before the next round of EMDR, to make sure all of my parts are up to continuing EMDR. I guess the parts modality is Internal Family Systems work. That's a new modality for me, too. You know, "All Parts Welcome," as they say.

We'll see what happens. I guess I'll stay with it. Maybe it will just take some time. Even though it's painful, if I can endure the trauma, I guess I can endure EMDR. It's certainly not going to hurt me to do it.

Hope everyone is well.

LJB