EMDR Therapy Tampa 101: 3 Powerful Reasons Why EMDR Therapy Should Not Be Self Administered

EMDR Therapy Tampa 101 : 3 Powerful Reasons Why EMDR Should Not Be Self-Administered

EMDR Therapy Takes Trust And Trusting Can Be Scary

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I know that people often would rather be able to do EMDR on themselves because it's hard to be vulnerable with a stranger. It is hard to pull back the layers and sit with your pain alone, let alone with another person. I understand it can be tough to trust someone else as you walk through traumatic and painful memories as you work your way toward healing. I know why it's appealing to want to do this work on your own, and I also know it wasn't meant to be done on your own. You deserve the support, care, and guidance from someone professionally trained in EMDR for the very purpose that they might serve as a GPS on the road of processing memories that have held you back for too long. You deserve to feel relief, and you deserve to do it with someone who's been trained to do it.

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Reason Number One

So the first reason that I want us to talk about is that if you try processing traumatic material on your own, you will more than likely bring up triggering memories without enough support. The first and most foundational part of EMDR is that we are working to establish tools to help you feel safe. We always want you to feel like you are on solid ground. Because all too often, trauma takes that away from people. Trauma makes us feel like we have no control over our lives. And you deserve to be in a setting where you feel like you have the ground underneath you and support next to you to handle triggering things when they come up.

Reason Number Two

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The second reason is that there is specific training that clinicians go through to understand the ins and outs of EMDR. We spend time being trained in how long a set should be, what needs to happen before a session is closed, ways to help someone regulate in different scenarios, and so much more. Every person is undoubtedly an individual, and not all EMDR techniques will work for each person, and the therapist has been trained to guide you through those techniques. An analogy I often use in sessions is that the therapist serves as the guide, we are a GPS, and you are the driver. You decide when we pull over, if we pump the breaks, and if we make a right turn. I might make suggestions and observations and ask questions, but ultimately, you are in charge.

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Reason Number Three

And the last reason I want to touch on is that you may need more resourcing before you jump into processing. I find that sometimes we are so enmeshed in our own life, circumstances, and trauma that we can't see past it or how it has truly impacted us—sometimes having someone from the outside looking in can help piece apart some of the areas that could use some more love and support. Someone trained in EMDR can understand from this outside perspective and ask questions to determine what other resources might be helpful for you before you start processing the trauma. And the reason we do that is so that you can continue to come back to solid ground. Processing trauma is challenging enough. We don't want to make it harder than it needs to be. I know it's scary to reach out to someone, to trust them with information and details about your life. I get it. But that trust helps us get through the pain of healing. And if you feel like the therapy relationship you are in needs more trust to be built, I highly encourage you to talk to your therapist about what you are feeling. Because the most crucial thing in any therapy relationship is trust, trust is how healing can start.

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If you’d like to understand more about how EMDR therapy and how it can help with trauma, check out this article.

If you are looking for an EMDR therapist in the Tampa area or anywhere in Florida, I would love to chat with you and see if I might be a good fit for what you are looking for. I offer free 15-minute consultations, and I would love to hear from you.