FAQs

How does EMDR work?

EMDR involves the back-and-forth movement of the eyes similar to the eye movements made during REM (Rapid Eye Movement) sleep. EMDR is a simple treatment that involves watching a ball go across the screen. This back-and-forth movement facilitates communication between the right and left brain hemispheres. While the right brain is symbolic, the left brain is logical and linear. When the right brain and the left brain are not communicating with each other, mental illness such as depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, psychosis, or PTSD can result. 

 

Should I use a headset? Does it matter?

While visual EMDR actually adjusts the cranial bones to reduce pressure on the cranial nerves, auditory EMDR encourages the right brain and the left brain to communicate with each other more fluently. The right brain is creative and essential in problem solving while the left brain is logical and it helps us create a narrative that has meaning for us. 

 

Though it isn’t essential to use a headset, a headset can enhance the final results of online EMDR.

 

Do I have to do EMDR with a mental health practitioner?

No. You can do EMDR online yourself at home, without the help of a mental health practitioners, however, if you find that you’re not getting the results you’d like, consider working with one of our EMDR practitioners. 

 

Some people need some guidance to get started using EMDR online at home properly. After an initial meeting with an EMDR practitioner, most people don’t need additional guidance. But in some cases, people who have experienced severe trauma, or certain types of trauma, may wish to work with an EMDR practitioner on a regular basis. In any case, you can still work with EMDR online at home.

Can I get the same results from EMDR online that I get from an in-person therapist administering EMDR?

Yes, but it is important that you dedicate time regularly to EMDR treatment if you wish to overcome trauma permanently. Most patients require several sessions lasting up to an hour to release just one episode of trauma using EMDR. Dedicate time weekly, bi-weekly, or every other day to EMDR treatment at home for results that are similar to what you could get while working with a therapist.

 

One of the benefits of working with EMDR at home is that you can create a space that feels safe to you. A sense of safety is essential when you’re working to release trauma. 

 

Can children and teens work with EMDR online?

Yes. EMDR is generally most effective when administered to kids in a way that meets them where they currently are developmentally. If a child is able to and willing to watch the ball go across the screen as they think about a specific moment of trauma, then EMDR online can be useful to them. 

 

It’s important to identify a specific traumatic moment if you wish to do EMDR with a child. Children themselves may not be able to identify trauma, but parents / caregivers may be aware of something traumatic in the child’s past that could become a focal point for online EMDR therapy.

 

EMDR has been used in children and teens to treat Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), self-regulation issues, mental health issues like depression or anxiety, and dissociation.

 

Are there herbs or supplements that can make trauma release easier or more effective with EMDR? 

Yes, definitely! The bean plant known as Mucuna pruriens contains a high level of the dopamine precursor that the body uses to produce dopamine. Dopamine is a left-brain neurotransmitter. People with addictions of any kind including fast-food addiction, behavioral addictions like sex or gambling addiction, or even sugar addiction can benefit from taking Mucuna pruriens along with nutritional supplements to ensure that the Mucuna bean is properly metabolized into dopamine in the brain.

 

What else can EMDR be used for? Is EMDR only for trauma release and mental health?

EMDR can be helpful in any situation in which a person feels stress or has difficulty accessing information. For example, a child or an adult who wishes to learn a new language may benefit from working with EMDR to reduce language-learning stress and to help the left-brain communicate more efficiently with the right-brain.

 

Is it safe to use EMDR during pregnancy?

Yes. EMDR is one of the few safe treatments for depression, anxiety, psychosis, and trauma during pregnancy. EMDR is a drug-free way to treat depression during pregnancy by releasing underlying trauma. 

 

Can elderly individuals use EMDR?

Yes. EMDR is safe for use by the elderly.