What EMDR is and is not
There are a lot of misunderstandings out there about EMDR therapy & what can & what cannot be changed or addressed with it. So let’s get into it.
EMDR myth: Can’t be safely used with Dissociative Disorders
EMDR truth: There’s a benefit in using EMDR with Dissociative Disorders if the provider has the right training. (Click HERE if you’re interested in learning more)
EMDR myth: Can’t be used with pregnant people
EMDR truth: There’s no evidence EMDR is harmful in pregnancy. By using EMDR to reduce distress, thus reducing stress hormones, the health of both the pregnant person & the fetus benefit.
EMDR cannot: Eliminate CPTSD/attachment wounds within 8 sessions
EMDR can: Start to bring symptom relief within 8 sessions of memory work, but CPTSD is long-standing & needs long-term therapy
EMDR cannot: Cure Autism/ADHD
EMDR can: Work through the traumatic learning that accompanies neurodiversity so people feel better about themselves & have more self-compassion for themselves & their differences
EMDR cannot: Change past
EMDR can: Change the way people see themselves due to their past & help them to develop healthier ways of dealing with themselves, others & the world
EMDR cannot: Stop systemic discrimination/oppression
EMDR can: Helps the targets of oppression to challenge their internalized bias developed from those experiences so they’re less impacted by those experiences
EMDR cannot: Make someone believe things that are not true (Ex: making a trans person believe “I am safe” in the US)
EMDR can: Help people find a more adaptive belief about themselves (Ex: helping a trans person believe “I can trust myself to keep myself safe”)
EMDR cannot: Cure chronic illness or disability
EMDR can: Help chronically ill/disabled people to unlearn internalized ableism, process their health trauma, increase their self-compassion & empower them to take care of themselves
EMDR can’t: Change how others treat us
EMDR can: Change what people believe about themselves so they can set/keep boundaries, love themselves enough to not tolerate the bare minimum & believe others will love them the way they deserve
