Addressing mental health is something that is becoming increasingly important in our world today. Traditionally, an individual was referred to a trained professional’s office to help them navigate through and beyond their unresolved trauma. While this is still common, our world is changing, and more supports are becoming available online, including those related to Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) therapy.
EMDR is a new type of therapy that is available in person and online. Three of the best services for EMDR are:
In this article, you will learn about EMDR, how it works, the length of time it takes, as well as online services that offer EMDR therapy.
Article Topics
What is EMDR
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) is a form of psychotherapy that was introduced in 1990. The purpose of EMDR is to help treat disorders that can impact daily life. Some of the disorders that you can treat with EMDR are
- Anxiety
- Panic Disorders
- Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
- Trauma
EMDR was created as a natural way to treat these often debilitating disorders. Unlike many treatments, EMDR focuses on using the mind and brain to help begin healing internally. It has been studied and used on all ages for all severity levels, but it must be completed by a trained professional to receive the full benefits in a safe environment.
Can EMDR be Done Online?
Many medical professionals have been offering telehealth options for their patients. While therapy sessions are much different than a physician’s visit, they too can be offered online. EMDR fits into this category, but it requires a lot of planning and preparation from the doctor and the patient.
Before beginning EMDR therapy with a therapist online, you need to know this information:
Licensed and trained: Only fully trained and licensed therapists may conduct EMDR therapy on an online platform. It is critical that you know the credentials your therapist has before beginning any sessions with them. It is easy to become an EMDR therapist. All you need to do is do some EMDR training online, so don’t settle for anyone who isn’t certified.
Unfortunately, many people are looking to make a quick buck online, and they don’t have your best interest at heart. If you fall prey to an untrained person that falsely claims to be trained in EMDR, you could be putting yourself at risk.
Jurisdiction: Once you have found a legitimate EMDR therapist online, you must make sure they can practice in your area. Like many professional licenses, they are only valid for a specific state or location. If licensed individual practices beyond the boundaries set in their license, they may face legal difficulties.
Once you have verified that you have found a reputable therapist to begin EMDR, several things will occur before your first session. If these things don’t occur, you may want to question the individual or find someone else.
Cybersafety check: When you are doing anything online that involves sharing private information, you must be using a secure connection. Because you are going to be sharing many vulnerable things, a secure connection is critical. A secure connection will ensure that you have a safe space to share while the therapist offers counsel openly.
Grounding techniques: Visiting a therapist can be an extremely emotional experience. When you are in the therapist’s presence, they have the tools necessary to keep you focused and functioning during and after a session. Because you are not physically with the therapist, you must be given tools to help ground yourself. This is important to ensure you are safe at all times during therapy. Some techniques you may learn are
- Deep breathing
- Putting hands in water
- Take a walk
- Anchoring phrase
- Visualizing
- Spending time with a pet
- Listen to music (there are so many benefits to music therapy!)
There are many more grounding techniques that can be used, but these are some that you could easily do in the comfort of your home.
You must have these techniques ahead of time so you know what works best for you when you are replaying traumatic events or moving into a state of anxiety or panic. The purpose of a grounding technique is to move you from distress back to a calm state.
(Source: Medical News Today)
Emergency Plan: While completing a therapy session in the comfort of your home may seem quite simple, a plan must be in place in the event of a counseling emergency. An emergency during a counseling session is likely to occur when you cannot safely be moved beyond the state of trauma.
For example, if you are reliving a traumatic event and find yourself going into a panic attack that you cannot get yourself out of with grounding activities, you must have a backup plan in place.
This can also refer to situations where you are in immediate need of support from the therapist. Unfortunately, there may be a time that the therapist isn’t available. If this happens, you need to have a plan in place for you to find the support that will help you move beyond the distress.
A fully trained and licensed EMDR therapist will have all of these things in place before beginning any online session with you. If your therapist neglects to do this, you need to ask questions and possibly move to a more reputable therapist.
The Three Best Services for EMDR Therapy Online
You will likely be able to find many different individuals offering online EMDR therapy. While it may seem reassuring to see so many qualified individuals, you must choose a reputable service. Remember, EMDR therapy will take you through some of the most traumatic events you have experienced; you want an experienced person to help you do this.
1. Virtual EMDR
This resource is a phenomenal place to start your journey with EMDR. While no live therapist sits on the other side of the screen, the program has been researched and studied using real individuals. It follows the proper steps of the EMDR process and provides instructional materials that make it easy for you to follow.
While this is a resource available 24/7 on the Virtual EMDR website, it is a medical treatment and should not be jumped into haphazardly. If you experience debilitating anxiety disorders or are under treatment for other disorders, you must seek approval from your doctor before beginning. This will help ensure the program is safe for you to begin.
2. RemotEMDR
Another resource that is recommended for online EMDR therapy is RemotEMDR. If you find yourself more responsive to an actual person, this may be a better fit than some remote options. Instead of moving through a completely automated program, you will be meeting with a live therapist.
The therapist will use a combination of live therapy as well as the online platform. When meeting with the live therapist, you will be protected under the confidentiality law of HIPPA, which means anything you share is kept safe and confidential.
How Does EMDR Therapy Work?
EMDR Therapy has been widely studied and formulated to offer the best results in the safest way possible. Because all healing, both physical and emotional, moves on a trajectory, EMDR is delivered in a series of eight phases.
- History Taking
- Client Preparation
- Assessment
- Desensitization
- Installation
- Body Scan
- Closure
- Re-evaluation
The phases of therapy must be followed exactly for results to occur. During the therapy process, the client will be asked to recount the traumatic event or series of events that are causing them such distress. During this time, the therapist will help train the brain to begin focusing on an external stimulus when the distress begins. Over time, the distressing event will no longer be a disturbing memory for the patient.
(Source: Medicine Net)
How Does EMDR Change the Brain?
EMDR is working directly with the brain and altering how it thinks about certain events or periods. As you know, the brain is extremely powerful and can control our emotions on many different levels. The steps the therapist takes you through will essentially rewire or retrain the brain when presented with the distressing event.
When individuals face the trigger of their anxiety or panic, they often have very frightening thoughts that lead to the attack. EMDR allows the therapist to help the individual retrain their reaction to the stimulus. This is done by taking the individual to the point of distress and then re-directing their thinking to something positive. Eventually, when the individual is faced with the trigger, they will no longer move into a distressed mode.
(Source: Sage Clinic)
How Long Does it Take for EMDR to Work?
Being in a state of distress is highly uncomfortable, and most individuals want it to stop. Because of this, many people wonder how long it takes for EMDR therapy to work. Like any therapy, it is a process and will take time. While there are only phases, it may take much longer in some phases than others.
If you deal with deeply rooted anxiety triggers or significant trauma and PTSD, you may spend several months moving through the EMDR process. However, if you are working to eliminate a relatively mild traumatic memory, it may only take you a few weeks. The important thing to remember is that everyone is different and moves at their own pace. Your therapist recognizes this and will move at an appropriate pace.
Most sessions will not last beyond 60 minutes. To reach the full effect of EMDR, you may need to experience between six and twelve sessions. If the trauma is greater, it will likely take more than twelve sessions.
(Source: Shoreline Recovery Center)
Final Thoughts
EMDR is a remarkable therapy used to help lessen the impact individuals feel from traumatic events. It is an all-natural way to help retrain and ultimately heal your brain from the suffering it has endured. By finding a trained professional and using a reputable online platform, you can complete EMDR therapy from the comfort of your home.
