EMDR via telehealth
A common question I get is whether or not EMDR therapy can be done or is effective by telehealth (video).
The simple answer is yes. I would imagine that I was a like a lot of EMDR therapists at the start of the pandemic, unsure about doing EMDR therapy online. And like many EMDR therapists over the course of the pandemic, I have learned that EMDR reprocessing can absolutely be done safely and effectively via telehealth.
And as with most things in therapy, there are a number of factors that it depends upon. This list of factors is in no way exhaustive and based on my own personal experience:
The comfort of both client and therapist with technology and telehealth.
The quality of the working relationship established between therapist and client.
The ability of the client to connect and remain focused when on a video call.
The quality/consistency of the internet connection.
The safety and comfort of the location where the client is having therapy.
Things that make doing memory reprocessing work in EMDR therapy less successful:
Having chaos in the room with the client (or therapist), such as happens with small children and some animals.
Being in the home where there is active abuse that’s happening in the day-to-day with the client, or strained relationships with others in the home.
The use of drugs or alcohol.
More dissociative or attention challenged individuals may have a harder time being able to feel into the shared therapeutic space that is so important for the trauma work.
Different therapists use different approaches for the bilateral stimulation (eye movements, happing, or auditory tones/music), and it just takes a bit of prep work to get things set up into whatever flow works best for the client and therapist. The same thing happens when clients come into the office as well.
