[SlumberKitty]

Last session Tony the Tiger T did some EMDR in the session. I only know that it was EMDR because my former T had talked briefly about EMDR but never actually did it with me. So Tony T was moving her finger back and forth pretty rapidly and I was supposed to come up with some thought. I didn't. I just said I was sleepy. Which I was but I also had a yucky migraine that morning so I'm not surprised by the sleepiness. What exactly is supposed to happen with EMDR? I wish Tony T would have explained it, and I will probably ask her (unless I chicken out) next session but that's 17 days away. How is it supposed to help? Did I do it wrong since I wasn't able to come up with any random thoughts? Any insights would be appreciated. Thanks...Kit.

[PurpleBlur]

You’re supposed to think of a trauma while you’re doing it and over time it lessens your stress response.

Not having anything in mind means you weren’t doing emdr...

[SlumberKitty]

Makes me wonder if Tony T is actually trained in EMDR...

[Rive1976]

I'm curious about that because I never have thoughts either and I dont feel any different. My therapist asked me if I had any body memories before conception and I was like wow! I dont believe in that.

[nottrustin]

Sounds like he wanted to do EMDR but you weren't ready. It isn't because you did anything wrong. I am surprised he dudbt tell you what he was doing. Usually when I have done EMDR we discuss what we plan to explore before even start the EMDR. Then we do the reprocessing technique. My T has a tapper (hand held stimlator) that she uses rather than the moving finger.

I think about the incident for a couple of minutes using the rapper. Then she stops it and we discuss what came up, emotions I am feeling and assess on the 1-10 any negative feelings. Then as long as I am grounded we continue on with the next cycle doing the same thing. One of the goals is that the stress level negative emotion level will decrease the each cycle.

[nottrustin]

Originally Posted by SlumberKitty

Makes me wonder if Tony T is actually trained in EMDR...

I thought the same thing.

[coolibrarian]

Did you know beforehand that he was going to try this? I concur with others who have guessed that he's not trained in it and, as such, HE SHOULDN'T BE DOING IT!

[SlumberKitty]

Originally Posted by coolibrarian

Did you know beforehand that he was going to try this? I concur with others who have guessed that he's not trained in it and, as such, HE SHOULDN'T BE DOING IT!

No, it was really weird. Tony T just started moving her fingers really fast back and forth and said, lets see what thoughts come up. My first thought was WTF but I didn't say that. My second thought was why are we doing this? But I didn't say that either. I knew I supposed to be coming up with something significant but I couldn't. I was rather baffled by the whole thing. So I just went with how I was feeling which was sleepy. Funny thing was we really weren't talking about anything triggering, or trauma based, I just sort of got quiet and started looking around the office and then T started this. Then I just felt like I did the whole exercise wrong. Like I did something wrong. T just said, you must feel sleepy in response to depression which I was like, yeah, I'll sleep a lot to deal with depression, but that wasn't any new revelation to me. I already knew that. Then I just felt worse because it seemed the whole exercise was futile. I probably need to bring this up next session but I will probably be a coward.

[nottrustin]

Originally Posted by SlumberKitty

No, it was really weird. Tony T just started moving her fingers really fast back and forth and said, lets see what thoughts come up. My first thought was WTF but I didn't say that. My second thought was why are we doing this? But I didn't say that either. I knew I supposed to be coming up with something significant but I couldn't. I was rather baffled by the whole thing. So I just went with how I was feeling which was sleepy. Funny thing was we really weren't talking about anything triggering, or trauma based, I just sort of got quiet and started looking around the office and then T started this. Then I just felt like I did the whole exercise wrong. Like I did something wrong. T just said, you must feel sleepy in response to depression which I was like, yeah, I'll sleep a lot to deal with depression, but that wasn't any new revelation to me. I already knew that. Then I just felt worse because it seemed the whole exercise was futile. I probably need to bring this up next session but I will probably be a coward.

In a case like that I would just say that I was confused by it so could she explain what it was and the purpose.

[SlumberKitty]

Good Idea

[zoiecat]

Before beginning EMDR therapist should first work on grounding exercises with you developing a safe place that you usually start at and you go to if you start freaking out for any reason you go there again at the end then you discuss different traumas and you pick one for which there's usually a certain memory that's the worst part for you before you begin they tell you to put that image in your mind and then it there supposed to be a saying that you think of like how does it make you feel or what did what do you think about when you remember this image or memory and then you're supposed to tell him how you feel what emotion it brings up and write it on a scale of 1 to 10. Then then once you begin the eye movements or the hand buzzers or whatever technique they use you're supposed to have the thought the image and the emotion in your mind before you begin every time they stop the back and forth motion through supposed to ask you what are you feeling or what thoughts are coming to mind could be anything from I have a headache too my stomach hurts or I remember such-and-such or I'm feeling such-and-such there's no right or wrong it's whatever you feel or think at the moment about anything but you're supposed to be concentrating on that initial memory which is the worst part of the the trauma for you. They continue to do the back and forth throughout the session and every time they stop you just tell them again what thoughts or feelings come to mind that way they know you are continuing to process the memory.

The purpose of it is for your brain to take all of the memories feelings sights sounds smells cover particular trauma and file them away and logical order in your brain eventually it lessens the bad feelings for that particular trauma.

I would definitely ask your therapist what type of training they have because it doesn't sound like they prepared you at all EMDR can bring up some bad crap and if you're not properly prepared ahead of time it's not a good thing. No one should do EMDR with somebody that's not properly trained.

Sorry for the formatting I was in a hurry to respond and use voice to text not the best

[Rive1976]

Originally Posted by zoiecat

Before beginning EMDR therapist should first work on grounding exercises with you developing a safe place that you usually start at and you go to if you start freaking out for any reason you go there again at the end then you discuss different traumas and you pick one for which there's usually a certain memory that's the worst part for you before you begin they tell you to put that image in your mind and then it there supposed to be a saying that you think of like how does it make you feel or what did what do you think about when you remember this image or memory and then you're supposed to tell him how you feel what emotion it brings up and write it on a scale of 1 to 10. Then then once you begin the eye movements or the hand buzzers or whatever technique they use you're supposed to have the thought the image and the emotion in your mind before you begin every time they stop the back and forth motion through supposed to ask you what are you feeling or what thoughts are coming to mind could be anything from I have a headache too my stomach hurts or I remember such-and-such or I'm feeling such-and-such there's no right or wrong it's whatever you feel or think at the moment about anything but you're supposed to be concentrating on that initial memory which is the worst part of the the trauma for you. They continue to do the back and forth throughout the session and every time they stop you just tell them again what thoughts or feelings come to mind that way they know you are continuing to process the memory.

The purpose of it is for your brain to take all of the memories feelings sights sounds smells cover particular trauma and file them away and logical order in your brain eventually it lessens the bad feelings for that particular trauma.

I would definitely ask your therapist what type of training they have because it doesn't sound like they prepared you at all EMDR can bring up some bad crap and if you're not properly prepared ahead of time it's not a good thing. No one should do EMDR with somebody that's not properly trained.

Sorry for the formatting I was in a hurry to respond and use voice to text not the best

Yes this is true. I am not sure I dont want to not have my feelings with my memories though. I would feel like a zombie and in fact since I started EMDR I have. I dont want that to happen to anyone else.

[zoiecat]

Dnester...EMDR is usually done on dusturbing memories or trauma that causes flashbacks. EMDR will not make you forget the trauma but will allow you to remember that it happened without all the attached painful feelings. Personally I do not want the painful feelings anymore. I would forget the trauma all together but unfortunately it does mot work that way.

[zoiecat]

Slumberkitty...the client can never do EMDR wrong. My T always says EMDR can fail me but I can never fail EMDR. He will always blame himself and his skill guiding me through it if it is not working.

Trained T have different techniques they use to guide you successfully through the process. For example if you have dissociated, your brain has stopped processing and EMDR will not work at that moment. They should stop immediately because it us doing no good. After they ground you and bring you back to being present then they can start up again. They also use different techniques to keep the memories from getting overwhelming.

My T always says I just need to ride the train. My brain knows where it needs to go. I just tell him what is happening every time he stops the buzzers.

Good luck and definitely tell your T you are confused. I woyld ask out of curiosity how lo g yhey have been doing EMDR or what their success rate has been to get an idea of their training and experience. Remember you always have the right to say you do not want to do it as well. You need to be a willing and i firmed participant fir EMDR to be successful. Shame on your T for not gaining this consent.

[Argonautomobile]

If EMDR seemed stupid, that's probably because it is stupid. Don't assume you're the problem.

[Hobbit House]

My T did EMDR on me and I ended up more triggered than ever. Did not work on me.

[PurpleBlur]

Originally Posted by SlumberKitty

No, it was really weird. Tony T just started moving her fingers really fast back and forth and said, lets see what thoughts come up. My first thought was WTF but I didn't say that. My second thought was why are we doing this? But I didn't say that either. I knew I supposed to be coming up with something significant but I couldn't. I was rather baffled by the whole thing. So I just went with how I was feeling which was sleepy. Funny thing was we really weren't talking about anything triggering, or trauma based, I just sort of got quiet and started looking around the office and then T started this. Then I just felt like I did the whole exercise wrong. Like I did something wrong. T just said, you must feel sleepy in response to depression which I was like, yeah, I'll sleep a lot to deal with depression, but that wasn't any new revelation to me. I already knew that. Then I just felt worse because it seemed the whole exercise was futile. I probably need to bring this up next session but I will probably be a coward.

did she say it was emdr? maybe you just assumed it was.


could be she was trying to inspire some free association from you. were you having a hard time talking?

[SlumberKitty]

Originally Posted by PurpleBlur

did she say it was emdr? maybe you just assumed it was.


could be she was trying to inspire some free association from you. were you having a hard time talking?

No, she didn't actually say it was EMDR. She didn't say what she was doing. I assumed it was EMDR because the technique was how my former T described it but my former T never did EMDR with me even though she was trained to do it because she said I dissociate too much (true). I wasn't really having a hard time talking but I had been quiet for maybe a minute or two. I was just pausing between subjects and feeling self conscious/nervous. She's still pretty new to me. I think that was only the third time I saw her, so I'm still getting used to how she works. I kind of wonder if she thought I was thinking about something bad and wanted me to open up about it, but I really wasn't thinking much at all. I need to ask her what was up and what she was doing and what I was supposed to be doing. I just don't see her until the 29th so it's a little frustrating. I found the whole thing to be bewildering.

[SlumberKitty]

Originally Posted by PurpleBlur

did she say it was emdr? maybe you just assumed it was.


could be she was trying to inspire some free association from you. were you having a hard time talking?

Although if she wanted me to free associate she could have just asked me what I was thinking, instead of having me follow her fingers back and forth really fast.

[Rive1976]

Originally Posted by zoiecat

Dnester...EMDR is usually done on dusturbing memories or trauma that causes flashbacks. EMDR will not make you forget the trauma but will allow you to remember that it happened without all the attached painful feelings. Personally I do not want the painful feelings anymore. I would forget the trauma all together but unfortunately it does mot work that way.

I know. For example one summer day I came home from school and the rabbits that I was bottle feeding died but one. I was holding it sobbing when my mom and stepdad pulled up. My stepdad stepped out of the car and said she probably killed him. I was so hurt that he thought I could be capable of that. I felt like a horrible person. I felt lots of things. My therapist did EMDR and now I just feel like my stepdad is a d***. Which he is but anyway all the emotions I had around it are gone. It feels weird because now I just feel numb.