I just read the description for a book on EMDR and it sold EMDR like a miracle cure that can be achieved in 5 hours.
That sounds like maybe for PTSD not CPTSD.
Any thoughts or experiences?
hey, saluki,
i'm an EMDR therapist, and have utilized EMDR in my own therapy. honestly, it is/can be a wondrous technique when used correctly, and the client's diagnosis is known and understood. altho it was originally developed for ptsd, and has had some seemingly 'miraculous' results, some therapists have been slow, as in so many of the helping/medical professions, to understand the difference between the two diagnoses.
more and more, however, are getting onto the c-ptsd bandwagon, understanding the differences, the underlying causes, and how it can present itself in so many different ways - like dissociation, the 4 F's, the emotional components, the triggers, body/brain responses, etc., and how they are relationally connected. and that's a good thing to look for in a therapist. if they don't know/understand it all, at least they need to be willing to do some research in order to learn, talk it over w/ their client, and reassure the client that they, themselves, can not do therapy wrong, that EMDR doesn't work the same for everyone, and that w/ their client, they will look for the ways and means to best help, or will admit it's beyond them, and recommend them to someone else.
so, in my mind, client/therapist relationship is paramount for any psychological progress to be made. as far as the actual technique, EMDR can help a client in ways talk therapy just can't reach, because it helps stimulate our brain/mind to undo memories, actions, situations, etc. which have been stuck inside us in harmful ways. it can help us stop reliving our horrors. it can make those pictures we have stored inside dissolve down to a miniscule rendering so that it does not bother us, and sometimes can't even be pictured anymore. in that sense, it can seem miraculous.
there are also iterations of EMDR, such as the Flash Technique, which can be helpful. i've used this extensively in my own therapy as a way to keep from getting overwhelmed by emotional tsunamis, so to speak. it worked wonders for me - i was able to make more progress on trauma issues in 5 yrs. than i had with various other types of therapy in over 30 yrs. there are other forum members who have had varying degrees of success w/ EMDR, and i hope you hear from some of them. i am presently looking for a new therapist (i moved to another state), and i'm hoping to find someone who is trained in EMDR - it is my first choice.
best to you with this. i hope what i wrote is helpful. any questions, feel free. love and hugs :hug:
Quote from: sanmagic7 on October 01, 2025, 01:35:16 PMclient/therapist relationship is paramount for any psychological progress to be made
:yeahthat:
My limited experience with EMDR hasn't brought me much, to be honest. I didn't target C-PTSD in general, but misophonia (which I believe is a manifestation of that in my case). Even though my therapist was very kind and understanding, this modality in this context triggered a lot of performance anxiety. Constantly having to evaluate my inner state and rating it on a scale from 1 to 10 while having to follow the light going from left to right made me quite (socially) anxious. The fact that T was literally watching me was a massive trigger for me too. I'm not bashing EMDR though. I was quite surprised that, even in this context, it brought up tears a couple of times. I do believe there is a there there, and it's worth to explore if you have the opportunity and feel inclined to do so.