The Intro…
Starting therapy for the first time can be very anxiety-provoking, not knowing what to expect or the process. So I thought it would be helpful to give a fictional (but generally common presentation) example of the process.
Please note that everyone’s journey is different and this is to give a very general look at what EMDR therapy involves. Some people will need more or less for similar issues so please don’t take this as anything other than a general overview and certainly not, ‘this is exactly how my therapy will be’.
So with the usual caveats over with, here is an example of the EDMR process for our fictional character Jane.
Jane, aged 32, and a teacher by profession came to EMDR therapy presenting with symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) following a car accident she was involved in three months ago.
The initial consultation…
During the initial consultation, I learned a little more about Jane, why she had come to therapy and what she wanted to get out of it. Firstly I talked about confidentiality and then gave her the chance to get to know me a little more. Jane was quite anxious but was reassured that we would not be jumping into any trauma work in the first session! Jane told me she is a Secondary school teacher who has always been passionate about her job. She was driving home from work one evening when another car ran a red light and collided with her vehicle. Jane was physically unharmed but had been struggling emotionally since the accident.
Since the accident, Jane reports experiencing flashbacks, nightmares, and intrusive thoughts related to the accident. Jane also describes feeling on edge, jumpy, and having difficulty sleeping.
I explained how the sessions worked and then went on to talk about trauma, how the brain works and how people become traumatised. I then talked about how we think EDMR works with healing from trauma. Jane felt it was useful to know why she has been feeling the way she has and what the process was to help her resolve this.
The second session…
During the second appointment, I took a brief history of what life was like for Jane growing up. This is to make sure I don’t miss any childhood trauma that might be significant to the car accident. Before completing any trauma work I always make sure that the person has the strategies to deal with any tension that they may experience. So we completed some breathing work, and grounding exercises and Jane now felt ready to start processing her trauma memories.
Throughout several sessions, Jane engages in the standard EMDR protocol, which involves identifying and processing traumatic memories while simultaneously focusing on bilateral stimulation through eye movements, taps, or sounds.
Processing trauma memories…
After several sessions of EMDR therapy, Jane reports a significant reduction in her PTSD symptoms. She no longer experiences flashbacks or nightmares related to the car accident, and her overall anxiety levels have decreased. Jane feels more in control of her emotions and can sleep better at night.
EMDR therapy has been a successful intervention for Jane in addressing her PTSD symptoms following the car accident. By targeting and processing the traumatic memories associated with the event, Jane has been able to reduce her symptoms and improve her overall quality of life.
If you would like to know more feel free to contact me.