[czarina1984]

On Wed I made an appt with a trauma therapist to start doing emdr therapy. My regular ttherapist isn't qualified and my friends aren't willing to talk about the subject at all. So this visit was kind of the hail Mary and high hopes that I would finally be able to talk about this and get help.

He is refusing to treat me.

He says I live too far away (over an hour) for it to be effective 2-3 times a week and because I dissociate driving home after would be bad. Also because he was male and semi retired and didn't want to take on new patients.

I feel like there is all this help available but you have to live in the right areas to get it. His suggestion was that I uproot my live, move in with family 5 hours away, and stay with them for several weeks to get help.

I am completely at a loss. I've tried RAINN, SOI, and our local sexual assault/domestic violence group. There are just no resources here and I feel soooo trapped.

[ejayy78]

Not sure if you've posted this somewhere else, but have you asked your current therapist for a referral to someone qualified to do emdr? Or could you ask the therapist who couldn't see you for a recommendation/referral to someone else?

I know it's discouraging that right now you don't have anyone to work through the hard issues with you, but don't give up looking for someone who can provide the help and support you need. You deserve to heal.

[czarina1984]

My pdoc and therapist didn't even know the guy I saw until I mentioned him. They are using me as a guinea pig to see if this was something they could use with other patients.

czarina1984 -

Try this link. Find a Clinician Directory | EMDR Institute ? EYE MOVEMENT DESENSITIZATION AND REPROCESSING THERAPY

This is an emerging treatment. see The Trauma Center at JRI
I know of the Trauma Center at Justice Resource Institute (JRI) only because the author and psychiatrist who is a founder of emdr, Bessel van der Kolk, recently released the book "The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma." AMAZING book. The mental health community is raving about it (and the therapy). It explains his how emdr came about based upon van der Kolk's research and real life experience treating trauma patients.

The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma
The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma: Bessel van der Kolk M.D.: 9780670785933: Amazon.com: Books

van der Kolk is very straight forward and doesn't soften the stories of trauma he's dealt with, which for me is the very first time I have EVER heard a professional address abuse forthrightly. No sugar-coating. No minimizing how utterly prevalent it is. The book made me cry just out of sheer thankfulness that someone in the MI field could and would do that. The book could be triggering for some, but wow, the power of knowledge and validation - AND HOPE - is fantastic!!

That said, I would have to agree with the semi-retired therapist that you dealt with that for emdr to be effective, you would need to be geographically near the place you receive treatment. Reading van der Kolk's book gives me an understanding of why. But, I get how frustrating that is for you! I'm currently living the hinterlands myself (job), but will be following up on this when I am able.

Anyone else reading this thread, do yourself a favor and get the book!