5 Questions To Ask When Looking For An EMDR Therapist
It’s taken you years to work up the courage to face your past. But you’re ready now. You’ve heard a lot about EMDR therapy and you’re looking for the right counselor. You don’t want to tell just anyone these things. You want someone who is not going to judge you and who knows how to help. You’re afraid that if you go with the wrong person, you’re going to open up Pandora’s Box and things will get even worse. It’s paramount that you get this right.
While there are many gifted clinicians who conduct trauma informed therapy, only a small percentage have fully immersed themselves in EMDR therapy for PTSD. Yes, it is absolutely important that you feel connected to your therapist - however there’s a little bit more required when you begin working on deep trauma therapy. I’ve seen well meaning and gifted counselors find themselves out of their depth when it came to reprocessing traumatic memories.
Solid EMDR Training Is Key
Unfortunately, there are training programs out there that do not provide the depth and breadth of training to prepare an otherwise competent and talented counselor to conduct EMDR. EMDR therapy is an area of treatment where a little bit of knowledge can be a hazard and an 8 hour or two day training just won’t cut it. I’d like to give you some information to help you avoid attempting EMDR and PTSD treatment with a clinician that is not adequately trained, no matter how good their intentions may be.
Some background information is important - there are a number of trainings available to clinicians who want to add EMDR to their therapy toolkit. I found the EMDR Institute to be an excellent training program. It required 40 hours of in-person training, along with 10 hours of clinical consultation of your own EMDR cases in order to complete the program. This is important because there are programs that are much shorter and/or do not require you to sit with an EMDR Approved Consultant to assist you as your are learning and growing in this new treatment modality. Something else to know, is that if you want to be certified as an EMDR therapist, you have to do additional consultation and collect additional treatment hours, which takes approximately 2 years to complete.
Some more background info, since Francine Shapiro’s passing (the original developer of EMDR) in 2019, a lot of people have begun creating new training programs - and their quality remains to be seen. So why is this important? You want to make sure your EMDR therapist has not only participated in a formal training program, but also that they have (or are currently in the process of) obtaining professional monitoring of their work through consultation.
Where Do I Even Look For An EMDR Therapist?
The EMDR International Association (EMDRIA) is a great place to start when it comes to researching EMDR and finding certified therapists. You can actually search by zip code and find the certified EMDR therapists near you!
Five Questions To Ask An EMDR Therapist
Are you certified by EMDRIA?
While not every certified EMDRIA clinician may be right for you, this is a good starting off point. If they happen to be an Approved Consultant through EMDRIA, then that means that they are not only certified, but also provide consultation for new clinicians as well! For me, my Approved Consultant status took me about two extra years of training after my initial EMDR certification.
If not, how much training do you have - and are you currently working with a consultant?
Here, you want someone who has at least taken a full training course and is taking their cases to an Approved Consultant to ensure that your provider is getting extra help as they are learning. You might hear that someone is “Level 2 Trained.” That means that they have completed EMDR Institute’s training course (and have completed 10 hours of consultation). This is good - but know that these clinicians may or may not have additional experience and consultation to ensure competency.
How will we know when I’m ready to start addressing specific traumas?
Before working on particular traumas, your EMDR therapist should complete a thorough assessment with you. This allows them to be able to create an appropriate treatment plan, as well as knowing what your strengths and weaknesses are (it’s ok, we all have weaknesses!). They will then work with you on techniques to help you in the event you start to feel overwhelmed (personally, at minimum I prefer the container and calm place exercises).
Have there been times when EMDR is not the best fit for a client? And if so, what would you do instead?
As much as I love EMDR, it’s not a magic bullet. Sometimes someone needs some other treatment modalities as a preparation for the full EMDR experience. Other times, EMDR just isn’t the right modality for what you need. A good example would be Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD). While EMDR might be a good “add on” for OCD, the gold standard is actually Exposure and Response Prevention combined with medication management. It would not be appropriate to ONLY use EMDR to treat OCD (at least at this time, there is some promising research, but nothing solid yet).
What will we do if I become overwhelmed and don’t want to keep going in a session?
A good EMDR therapist will prepare you with some form of “stop” signal. Personally, I ask my clients to let me know if we are even approaching that point, because there are things I can do to bring down the intensity of the experience if I need to.
I tell my clients that metaphorically we are in a tunnel and the EMDR processing is like the accelerator on your car. If you are in distress, it’s ideal to “put the pedal to the metal” so to speak so you can get through that tunnel. By stopping the processing, you are actually slowing down in the middle of the tunnel and I want to get you through the tunnel to the other side!
There is a balance to this though, because if you feel too overwhelmed then your brain won’t actually be processing the trauma (we call this “staying within the window of tolerance”). So feeling like you can communicate with your EMDR therapist is key. Ultimately, you should not be forced to continue processing if you are uncomfortable - as it can cause even more trauma. If you told a perpetrator to stop and they didn’t, and then you ask your therapist to stop and they don’t, that can re-traumatize you further.
You’ll also want to notice the style of your EMDR therapist. You want someone who doesn’t become annoyed if you ask questions, who will explain the whole process to you and check in with you throughout EMDR so you feel safe. You want someone who will gently nudge you just the right amount while respecting your autonomy. You’ll need someone who is confident, soothing and validating. In PTSD treatment, your clinician MUST feel comfortable with emotions - because there will be a lot of them! I tell my clients that if they were ever in a place where they could be hysterical, this is it. Honestly, most people don’t get hysterical - but if they need to, it’s ok and I’m here for it.
I hope you’ve gotten your questions answered about finding an EMDR therapist - it can be a scary process but it’s so worth it! If you are curious about other PTSD treatment options, click here.
Ready to take the plunge? Click here to book a free 15 minute video consultation for online EMDR Therapy and PTSD treatment in California.
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