Online EMDR
Moving Beyond the Need for an Office
EMDR:
Gone Digital
EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) therapy is a powerful way to help people heal from tough experiences and trauma. For a long time, EMDR therapy happened in person, with clients and therapists in the same room. I'd guide my clients' eye movements with my hand or give them special buzzers to hold. Being able to be face-to-face let me see how they were doing right away and made them feel safe and connected.
But things have changed! Thanks to new technology, EMDR therapy is now widely available through telehealth. We can now do sessions online, which is a huge help for a lot of my clients. It's great for those who live at the other end of the state (or another state for that matter), can't easily leave their homes, or just find it hard to get to an office. Now, effective trauma treatment can reach more people, no matter where they are.
So, how does EMDR work when we're not in the same room? It actually works quite well, and we have a few ways to have a successful EMDR session.
Clients can do the "tapping" themselves: I can show clients how to do the bilateral stimulation (the back-and-forth movement) on their own. This might mean tapping gently on their knees, shoulders, or forearms. Or they might follow my finger on the screen with their eyes or even use special audio tones that alternate between their left and right ears through headphones.
We use special online tools: There are now secure online platforms made just for EMDR therapy. These aren't just regular video calls; they often have built-in tools like virtual light bars (a moving dot on the screen for clients to follow with their eyes) or integrated audio tones that provide the back-and-forth sounds.
No matter how we do it, the main parts of EMDR therapy stay the same in our online sessions. I still lead my clients through each step, making sure they feel safe, and adjust things as needed. Switching to telehealth has made EMDR therapy even more flexible and available to more people, making healing more accessible and within reach.
So, how does EMDR work when we're not in the same room? It actually works quite well, and we have a few ways to have a successful EMDR session.
Clients can do the "tapping" themselves: I can show clients how to do the bilateral stimulation (the back-and-forth movement) on their own. This might mean tapping gently on their knees, shoulders, or forearms. Or they might follow my finger on the screen with their eyes or even use special audio tones that alternate between their left and right ears through headphones.
We use special online tools: There are now secure online platforms made just for EMDR therapy. These aren't just regular video calls; they often have built-in tools like virtual light bars (a moving dot on the screen for clients to follow with their eyes) or integrated audio tones that provide the back-and-forth sounds.
No matter how we do it, the main parts of EMDR therapy stay the same in our online sessions. I still lead my clients through each step, making sure they feel safe, and adjust things as needed. Switching to telehealth has made EMDR therapy even more flexible and available to more people, making healing more accessible and within reach.