As I'm about 6 minutes into watching this, I'm feeling that intense sadness and despair in my gut area, and they haven't even started yet. I think I forget sometimes how much the trauma causes continuous pain. It becomes "normal" to hurt at some base level. "Not good enough" was the burden I wore every day as a kid.
Emdr gave me dissociative symptoms and bad anxiety. My therapist wanted it to work so badly, that he seemed to be completely ignoring how uncomfortable I was. If you're a therapist reading this, keep in mind this may not work for everybody and you shouldn't push people with trauma to do something that isn't helping them.
EMDR won't traumatise you, but reveal whats already there. Therapists are meant to screen for dissociation (using the DES) before processing, and stop when a client signals stop. I imagine the problem has been the therapist and I'm sorry to hear you suffered.
You’re correct, it does not work for everyone. It didn’t work for me. There are therapists who swear this is the be all end all for those of us with C-PTSD but it’s not a one size fits all. EDMR can be a quick fix option but for me I had to go slow with a completely different approach.
The most realistic part of this video is how Kati laughed about her fear of her book being hated and the therapist not responding with a smile or a laugh. Its truly a no judgement zone and a lot of us when talking about our struggles tend to self-depricate or make light of our feelings. Therapy is a really empowering thing when you realize that your therapist genuinely views your individual struggles as serious. Out of therapy -- if Kati said "yeah I'm worried about my book being hated haha" she'd likely get a smile and a brush-off of "ahh no it's gonna be fine". As supportive as that is, it doesn't get to the root of our beliefs about ourself. Again, great video and thanks for being vulnerable in this session.
EMDR treated my agoraphobia and ptsd from an assault. The incident happened 10 yrs ago, I had just 7 sessions this summer. Changed my life. This video is in line with my experiences, however it is hard core in real life and take their advice- takr the rest of the day off work afterwards of you can. V good example though. May I just say Katie, you did a fab job explaining it, bringing on a specialist to give an example session and you being the guinea pig! Thanku. I say to other viewers suffering from trauma and are considering it, please give it a try. Symptoms may never fully disappear, but they do improve, and even that's gotta be worth it. Blessings xx
Hope you’re doing amazing❤️ I would love to try this if it was in my country, since I already gone through shit tons of physical trauma when i was a child and other stuff
Thank you for sharing your comment. I developed a severe ptsd 6 years ago. I am to start EMDR treatment soon, after many other types of treatment therapy. I am hopeful but uncertain. Even after watching this video now I am very unsure if I am capable. I can try. I want it to help but I am also scared of another disappointment.
LoveLoveLove EMDR, was life changing for me!!!!!! Severe c-ptsd symptoms that made basic daily existing and caring for myself feel impossible. Night and day difference to what my life looks like today. So thankful my counselor suggested it!
Dr. Alexa Altman appears calm, gentle, confident. She is not attempting to prove what she knows, does not use fillers such as “like” and “obviously.” I would like to hear more from Dr. Alexa Altman, less about Talk Therapy and more from Dr. Alexa about EMDR. Thank you 🙏🏽
Francine Shapiro Ph.D, wrote about how she developed EMDR in her book Getting Past Your Past. It opened my world to more healing, just listening to the audio book. ❤ in case you’re interested in learning more.
I did my own little emdr season parallel to yours and experienced a little physical pain relief in my back and was able to feel an old memory and also connect to why it was so “up” and triggered right now. Thanks for sharing this. I can’t afford therapy. I use the cbt bloom app and it helps lower some anxiety and stress an depression in particular with work and self compassion. And I love a lot of the psychology RUclips Chanel’s and always pursue healing and have a larger capacity to contain Hope and faith. ❤️
If you are looking for free resources I strongly recommend Dr. Tim Fletcher on RUclips. Specifically if you go on his live tab on his channel :) he has a live video every friday so the catalogue of his past live videos is incredible, going back years
I had the treatment twice, for 2 separate life events, 40 yrs apart, and it was incredibly powerful and healing for both of them. My therapist was amazing, and I highly recommend it. It may sound scary to reprocess a horrible memory, but a therapist will ensure that you feel safe in this process, and you will feel and function so much better.
I had my first EMDR session yesterday and it was enlightening, therapeutic, and similar to what you demonstrated. I'm looking forward to my next session. Kati, thank you for opening up like that. Great job to you both.
I have been having EMDR since 22nd of April this year. I needed emdr as a child but it wasn’t around when I was 7 yrs old, (I’m in the UK). I am 39 now. I have had the goose chase as I was with the wrong mental health provider for 14 yrs (they didn’t have the right therapist for me), they referred me last year, to where I am now. Better late than never though. My therapist is doing history gathering and giving me tools to help manage the intense emotions. Thank you Kate Morton🙂🙂
Thank you for your excellent way of describing the EMDR process in this video. Many years ago I was skeptical at first, but quickly learned that EMDR could successfully treat an unhealthy memory in me. I had a traumatic experience in childhood that continued to haunt me as an adult. It took only one EMDR session to stop the target memory from haunting me. As I write this comment, I do not re-live the memory in my mind or have side-effects in my body from the memory. I have no interest in the memory whatsoever. EMDR has been effective in treating other trauma events in my life. I forgot to mention that the light bar and hand vibe devices were also used in addition to the tapping demo in this video.
EMDR was one of the most incredible experiences I’ve ever had - so grateful, so helpful! Thank you for a great video, the information, and vulnerability! 🙌🏻
Kati you are incredible to be so open and vulnerable with us. 🤗🙏🕊❤🌈 Hope this will help others to get the right help from their therapists. God bless you
My therapist and I have been doing EMDR sessions over the last month or two, and they have been SOOOO helpful to me. I had a pretty big "epiphany" moment recently from an EMDR session figuring out where my Anxious Attachment Style originated from, and it honestly feels like a huge weight has been lifted off me. I have to be honest, this all seemed extremely "woo woo" to me when my therapist first brought it up, but the proof is in the pudding as they say, and I can't argue with results.
I also just started EMDR to also treat my anxious attachment style, your comment gives me hope!! I have cptsd so idk how to even start, I dont have one traumatic event but a traumatic upbringing. Hope it keeps helping you heal, best of luck 🤞🏽
It wasn't one event for me either, but a bunch of stuff from my childhood that shaped who I became. That epiphany was just the start. Then the work began, and is still continuing, on reprocessing all that crap in a way that helps me to not be so AA anymore. @@acanamero226
Wow this is the exact reason as to why I’m looking into EMDR right now. i have such a difficult time figuring out what my traumas are and living with anxious attachment style has been very difficult for me
I find my executive functioning is gone after 10 rounds of processing in a session, gotta eat and nap afterwards. The processing is also working in ur subconscious so you have to fully immerse yourself in the emotions involved in the memory or else you won’t be trimming the memory network with the tapping. For me it takes about 4-6 weeks for integration after EMDR and I feel lobotomised constantly when I’m in a processing cycle, but then we swap back into the mapping cycle and I’m good again. As hard as it is sometimes, I love it cos when I get back into mapping, I can see and feel the huge steps forward I’m making!
Brave woman to share her inmost thoughts and feelings with the world. I totally agree with her. EMDR and psychotherapy in general is weird. It is awkward and deep down in my bones seems like it shouldn't be a part of the human experience. Like it was never meant to be a thing. Sort of like a twist in the universe that was not supposed to happen.
Abuse itself, was also never meant to be a thing. Psychotherapy has saved my marriage and probably my life. EMDR is fascinating. I loved it and want to continue when/if covid ends.
I had EMDR in 2018 it was so damaging for me, I have a rare sleep disorder so the weekly sessions were too much I couldn’t focus. I asked to have them every 2 weeks and he wouldn’t. So after 10 sessions I was left with all these traumas that I didn’t think too much about before, they really fucked me up. I’ve been seeing my therapist almost 7 years and she suggested it so I took a break while seeing the emdr specialist. I immediately went back to seeing her after but I’m still not quite over some of the things that were brought up. I know EMDR can be great for some people but it’s definitely not for everyone.
@@nylakhan5658 I’m a lot better now as I still see my normal therapist once a month, after the EMDR it just opened up a lot and was left so it took me a good year and a half to unpack it with my regular therapist. Unfortunately with my sleep it makes doing anything that has to be done regularly impossible, as the time I fall asleep and wake up change an hour or so every day. I’ve never heard of contrast showers what are they?
@@Sarahhedger I hear what you are saying. If we have repressed memories they are repressed for a reason and this is why I am hesistant about EMDR myself. It also makes sense things can get worse before they get better and maybe it would have helped to continue processing.
@@betterworld2958 I know for some people it works well, my sleep disorder is far worse now so I’d never be able to do weekly sessions. I think you just have to try it and see if it’s a good fit for you.
I was in Therapy off and on for 8 years before finding my current therapist who recommended EMDR and i have made more progress in 6 months than in all the years before that combined
HI ladies, The past few weeks have been challenging and it just seemed to be getting worse. i texted my therapist this morning and the past week i have been doing all the things with no help. journaling, yoga and meditaion. anyway my client does emdr therapy. she sent me a video about it and after watching it your video popped up. I did it. I have many trauma and tragedies. (traumedy). the biggest one is the murder of my 21 year old son and next month will mark 8 years. i am/was ok am nervous about it. anyway to the point i did your video and when i did the tapping it instantly made me feel better. i think my brain had something else to think about besides that pain. thank you soo much ladies
I think the magic in the EMDR is that the therapist is methodically interested in the patient. I had two and a half years of therapy, usually twice a week that was spent by the therapist basically ignoring me, stating that she understands (though it never felt like it) and telling me to just act like I did not have any problems. It was supposed to be cognitive-analytic but it was almost a fraud. She was in retirement age and had worked with institutionalized patients before her current private practice (i.e. hopeless cases and that's maybe why she had never learned to help anyone).
EMDR was the most horrible great experience I've ever had. It made my panic attacks way way worse but that could also be because covid hit 3 months in and had to suddenly stop 🙃 I'm a much more positive person now because of it but for me it was like "forget coping skills! 😰". hits everyone different and from my experience there was no preparing despite coping skills (it helped but not as much as before). It's very hard but worth it. Keep in mind it continues until your mind processes it, meaning it continues after seeing your therapist, or so my therapist told me. In short, be prepared as much as you can and it's very worth it in the end. Not many things bother me anymore, I see different sides to things and I realize I'm responsible for ME and not other adults. 😁 (this is just from my experience and not to be taken as medical advice)
Thank you for sharing. I plan to proceed with EMDR but my therapist would like to have my first 2 sessions prior to my trip to Ireland to visit my partner for a month. I've asked her what her opinion is considering similar experiences and what I would need to do in the even something happens
I haven't done EMDR in almost a decade and I'm willing to give it another try. It was exhausting and tough but I think it helped me process what happened and move on from it
Great video. I just finished a session a couple days ago. It is insane how much this actually works. I deal with lots of ruminating thoughts and re-living old traumatic experiences. My therapist recommended this route and that memory we worked on genuinely no longer affects me. Whenever I think of it, I am reminded of the belief about myself being changed to a positive one. It is really hard to open up and be vulnerable about past experiences but wow I couldn't recommend trying this strongly enough if you have the ability. edit: It does feel like you're doing it "wrong" when you first go through it. Very untraditional and if your mind has the tendency to wander your therapist will guide you back to the memory and the beliefs associated with it in a kind way.
I was given a test in 1996 when I had to go back into therapy and it had test results showing ptsd very very strong. Around 1999 one therapist started EMDR treatments on me and often they worked. My mind started working better. My handwriting improved and my thinking was clearer. I’ve had multiple traumas, several big ones from prior to age 10. When the EMDR was actually working, in my mind it felt a little bit like an orgasm or when I quickly fall asleep.
thank you for opening up.. a lot of people probably feel not good enough, but most hide it behind their reactions to their emotions, or even behind deflecting. I appreciate your honesty.
I'm so thankful that EMDR helped me. The incidence of fairly vivid & exhausting dreams & nightmares went away almost entirely. I was aware of some dreams while sleeping, & still am now ... but since having EMDR I don't remember them after waking.
Yelling coaches was a thing for me too! I loved playing football growing up so I stuck around. Plus I had friends to play with. I remember every time practice or a game would end I felt a huge sigh of relief. Obviously the coaches were never being malicious, but my young brain took it that way. Performance anxiety? That fear has carried on to my adulthood, preventing me from getting a job. I just started therapy a few months ago and it's been great. My therapist is awesome
I also had an experience like that with a cruel stepfather. However, my mom was the rescuer. I wrote a book and saw the influence it had on that venture. ( not feeling comfortable asking for the cost of the book and feeling more comfortable giving them away) Listening to you saying that her dad was there as a resource, made me realize that my mom was there as a resource. For example, he would give my siblings coins and not me and mocked me for crying. I also later realize that he manipulated others and did negative things to them, and he could not get to me because I was a strong willed child. So him giving them coins and not me, making me feel that I did not deserve money, was an attempt to break me down which he did not succeed in doing. Now that we are adults , the girls that he broke down are angry about their serious / secret types of abuse from him. One can never stop learning EMDR. Today as I sit looking at your demo, I am just saying, my gosh, God and my mom was there as a resource so now God and the world is here for me as my resource. My New Reality ❤❤❤❤
I can tell you what the trauma is, what it created in me , why I respond the way I do. I recognize intrusive thoughts and know exactly where they come from and I have no hope. I am overwhelmed and overcome with grief, fear, utter hopeless
I could be a therapist if I went to school for it, but I am so frkgn broken so I could never do anything in the mental health field since I have so much repeated trauma. I wish I could be traumatized by a coach and sport!
Thank you for this video. I've tried EMDR a few times last year and doing it again currently with the same therapist. I find I tend to shut down my emotions, so EMDR can be tricky for me at times. But I find the more I talk about the situation and what happened, the easier it is for me to feel. EMDR is an interesting therapy! Im keen to keep trying it.
Ironically I just started EMDR* & this series has matched my progress exactly!! This has been SO helpful! *Turns out 20yrs of CBT/DBT isn’t enough to even scratch the surface of my boundary & attachment issues 😩
Sensational video ! Gives a eye opening insider view on EMDR. Thank you for the guts to be vulnerable . This is a huge value to others , myself included .
I found that I couldn't trust enough, or rather feel safe enough to do emdr. I am in the midst of prolonged exposure therapy, and feel safe enough to talk about it. But I am scared to let my mind free float unless I am alone.
Take those beliefs that you cannot trust or feel safe to the therapy session. That is a perfect starting point for doing 'shadow work' and EMDR is sufficiently different from cognitive therapy to let you see relief much sooner. Maybe repeat the affirmation "I can trust people".
@@marktwain368 I would recommend parts work more than EMDR for this sort of situation. When we feel unsafe there is a reason and if this person feels too unsafe right now a good therapist will honor this and see that maybe emdr is not the right treatment for them right now or ever.
This video gives me a new perspective on how the process of EMDR is supposed to occur. I went to EMDR for just over a year and my therapist did several things including the "free association" and I did my best to give my answer. She promptly responded with judgement to my "free association" saying that it was based cognitively rather than what she instructed me to give her; we did not get closure on that issue and I ended up not trusting her intentions with me and I stopped therapy. My question: if EMDR therapists are trained that "free association" is supposed to me judgement-free, then why would my therapist decide to break that understanding on her part?
My opinion is that Kati does not respond well to offensive behaviour but responds better to encouragement because you always do your best. I don't know why it would make you feel not good enough.
I've done this type of therapy a few times. I didn't get anything from it but I know a few people who find it very helpful. It really is something I recommend everyone should experience at least once
This was very helpful! I applied it to my situation pausing here and there with my emotions and questions and feelings. I can breath now and i feel lighter..thanks ladies
Congratulations on 1M subscribers Kati! You are great! keep on the good job. You’ve been really helpfull through the years and also very consistent with your videos. Thanks for all you’ve done
I'm about to start EMDR and this is an incredible experience to witness. I'm kinda nervous about trying but also very excited to be on a new therapeutic path, hoping I can start improving. So this really demystified the process, the jargon, the possibilities. Thank you both so much💜
Emdr helped me reveal things I buried with my cptsd it was painful because I dissociate with pain I dont know how to deal, Emdr works for me but....it is typically expensive.
Oh God, Kati! I’m SO proud of you! I don’t think I could do this. Quiet makes me feel like I’m going to puke. You’re so brave though. Thanks for being so vulnerable. WHO told you you weren’t good enough?? I will fight them!
I love this. My naturalopath recommend this. Tonight at my counseling session she also recommend this. We did a short positive one using her pin instead of tapping. I'm going to use that experience this coming weeks to find peace. This was amazing to watch. I am very hopeful, I'm so done with my emotions controlling me in a negative way.
That was pretty powerful, I could tap right into it. I wonder if there are any EMDR therapists where I live, as I do get the sense that it could help with some of my issues. Or Alexa Altman comes over here, she has such a soothing way of handling the process.
This was very helpful. As a hypnotherapist, I'm like, okay. Trying not to be the clinician and client - brain still runs. There are some instances I am aware of already from having practiced and facilitated EMT. From watching this video, I had another layer revealed. VERY HELPFUL. I can see how it's a deeper root of the other instances. THANKS FOR SHARING!
Dr. Altman seems like a really great EMDR therapist! Unfortunately my only experience with EMDR was a bad one (therapist and I didn’t vibe) and it cost so much that I was discouraged to continue, but seeing this gives me hope that I can find the right therapist for me.
It helped me at the time I had a respectful therapist who knew not to push anything on any one it's personal yes this does help depends on how okay someone is to be able to have safe boundaries they basically are there to affirm what wasn't affirmed during the abuse and the side affects from the abuse that has traumatized one for years
I offer juggling therapy lessons and coaching so people can do self applied EMDR therapy/bilateral stimulation type activities. Look up the studies for juggling therapy. I believe the reason juggling therapy works is it naturally includes many other therapies in its patterns that you learn. It is physical exercise /physical therapy, it is a movement meditation, it is art therapy, it is EMDR (in a sense, since the bean bags are going back and forth in a structured pattern and rhythm. It is causing you to focus on the action , bringing you into the present moment.
I don’t get the tapping. The EM in EMDR is Eye Movement. It has been proven that the rapid eye movement is what recalls the memories and helps to desensitize the situation or feelings that are being recalled. I have been doing EMDR for a little over a year and only do it with my therapist moving her 2 fingers back & forth with my eyes following. It has worked so well for me! I feel the tapping myself would be so distracting
the tapping does the same effect as the eye side to side eye movements. For example, a client with a history of being hit might not respond well to have a therapist wave their hands in front of them so having the client tap (on the shoulders or lap) is a better option.
Tapping affects and stimulates both sides of the brain (bilateral) so it gets the ball rolling, just as eye movement does. Each eye is connected to a different side (hemisphere) of your brain. The point is to activate and reroute neural networks in the brain.
thank you so much. My brother shared this with me and I shared it on facebook. I have a lot of anxiety and a chronic illness that I think came from all that anxiety so I'd like to give this a shot.
I did EMDR by myself using a YT video. Mainly cuz the mind was a total mess after a breakup. That evening after 30mins of doing it, i realized i felt completely better and couldn't even think about my Ex, like she was blocked from my thoughts. The rest of the evening was perfect. Then after 4 months of being ghosted, she then message me that same evening late at night...i was like "well...shit" ....The effects of the EMDR just disappeared and never worked again. But it did work that day, been looking for that ever since.
Becaaaauseeee… what she believes about you contradicts what you want to believe about yourself. The therapy is a learning experience. You teach yourself to view the relationship and you in it in a different way. Her behavior simply spoke louder to you than your own convictions. I hope this helps.
In this video we see a current issue (in your case a breakup) tied to a deeper past issue (which has not been resolved or even addressed for you) and that is why you snapped back into negative symptoms. You need to do more work, buddy. Don't give up and don't give in.
This was kind of a trigger because I feel like I’m never good enough in my mothers eyes. Years of emotional abuse from her. But I want to do this to get over those triggers.
I've been researching EMDR for my research methods class all semester (I'm getting my master's in social work), and this has been the most helpful video on the topic. Thank you, Kati and Alexa, for sharing this and your wisdom on this topic.
As a retired 35 yr experienced MSW, I would urge you to research what studies confirm that this works.....I find too many unstated therapist beliefs that are shaping this session.
@@s1haron Yes, I understand what you are saying. This was a tough topic to research because of the controversies around it. I did A LOT of research from reading academic texts, to watching videos like this one to understand what a session looked like, to reading dozens of academic journal articles. I found a lot of peer-reviewed articles that showed EMDR to be an effective treatment for adults (I didn't look at articles with children). The issue I ran into and discussed would be good for future research, is understanding the working mechanisms because we don't fully know why EMDR works. There are a lot of theories, but it would be helpful to have clarity on why it works. We also need some more quality follow-up studies, especially since EMDR does not require homework or direct exposure to the traumatic memories. This would especially be helpful in various populations to ensure it has lasting effects. An interesting fact in a meta-analysis done in 2020, EMDR had lower drop-out rates than Cognitive Processing Therapy and Prolonged Exposure. So all that to say that there are pros and cons to using this as a therapy, and I did a lot of research to try to make sense of it all.
At the start of the video the information and big words were so confusing. I got lost trying to understand it. By the end of the video it was easier to follow. I have never experienced EMDR myself but told by other therapists i was recieving treatment from would all tell me i am not ready. That was discouraging. I think it would be benefiting. Thanks Kati.
Thank you for this video. I've read a lot of information about EMDR and heard explanations. I did not find that very helpful. To see a session broken down with explanation was far more beneficial. I have been to many therapists who believe they know what to do, but it's a session of rambling and reliving trauma without a point. It's been a struggle to find a person who can get out of the their own way. My most recent therapist, who I will no longer see, didn't have an answer when I said what is the game plan here. He just became confused. he had suggested Brainspotting and EMDR, but when I asked him to explain all he could say is I've seen it work. I told him I have read about each extensively. He told me I did not know what it was. That angered me, because without discussion, how would he know what I do or don't know about it? I have a difficult time trusting people who talk in circles. I want a therapist who can help me help myself. I paint. He said he painted and suggested we do a project together. I told him at one time I would find excuses not to leave my home. I did not say it was still a problem. Yet, he suggested I have someone accompany me when I go to the store. What? I can take a painting class if I want someone to paint with me. I don't need to rely on a co-dependent to accompany me when I shop. It's so hard finding a therapist who can figure out what their role is in therapy or who doesn't bring in their personal life to the point where I am dealing with their issues. The best part ( disgusted eye roll ) is he told me I'm not trying. It was very hard to keep from saying, "Maybe you just suck at this." I've watched many of Kati's videos. It is helpful to hear her own struggles because there's a reason. It's an example. There's a strategy explained that I can apply to my own situation. I'm not invited to her pity party. I try, and use, many strategies. Some work for me and some don't. I hope other therapists watch and read the comments. SOOOOO many could really learn something. Thank you and your guest, Kati. The video was helpful to me in so many ways.
I have just become aware of this type of therapy and am so interested to try it. I have a memory from when I was 4 that was very traumatic to me and over the years my beliefs about what that meant have intensified as I use other experiences to validate those beliefs and I now have constant pain from fibromyalgia. I would love to have emotional and physical relief. Thank you so much for this!
Thank you for being so vulnerable and sharing this with us and going through this experience to show others. I have thought about this and wondered if I wanted to look into it. I see other kinds of therapies. I don’t Know with my level of all the trauma I have experienced if this would help me or not but thank you for sharing. I love your videos.❤️
I’m sorry that happened-I know a lot of people who went to another therapist just for EMDR then came back to the other therapist. I’m sorry that option wasn’t given to you.
I am sorry this happened. I know several therapists that do EMDR for clients from other therapist (my self included). I would ask your therapist if there is another therapist you could be referred to for EMDR.
This is an excellent session. I have the initial training in it. I also noticed that when my session with my client ended, there was a significant point we could’ve gone into so we did not consider that the final session.
My mother in law and my little brother both have done EMDR. My insurance denied me from getting it. Im looking for a therapist that my insurance does cover that is able to do EMDR. I have a great deal of trauma going back as far as I can remember as well as being aware of other traumatic things that happened to me as a baby and toddler. I also have trauma from adult hood as well. Ive done talk therapy for years. It hasn't helped much. I think I need EMDR badly.
My therapist suggested EMDR. My experience was while in the middle of this treatment I was asked to confront my sister. When I tried to do that, everything went black! It scared me that everything could go black with my eyes open. I busted into tears. It was obvious I wasn’t ready for this treatment. 😢
EMDR does NOT require anyone to confront a traumatic memory. You take baby steps and deal with pieces NOT the whole enchilada! What is different from Talk Therapy is that neural networks that hold trauma are relaxed and reprogrammed. Find someone who knows what they are doing.
I love EMDR but I prefer the therapist using the finger movement or thera tappers. Awesome video. I just can't find EMDR therapist since Covid hit. I'm told they quit doing EMDR because of socal distancing.
My therapist and I are about to start EMDR, and we have been meeting virtually since we started therapy. She showed me the website we will be using, you can either use the screen where it has sort of a ball going back and forth and you can change the speed and track it with your eyes, or use headphones and listen to a sound in each ear. So it definitely can be done online!
What about PTSD from a physical assault. That doesn't have beliefs about how I see myself w self talk. It does different w intrusive emotions, negative memories and anger popping up over small stressors. This causes more anxiety, exhaustion and stress for me
I gave this a shot 20 plus years ago. I worked with a highly qualified PhD who went on to work at WHO. I was a little skeptical, but in so much anxiety I would try anything. We did eye movement, which is not shown in this example. We probably did a dozen sessions. Results were marginal, but not spectacular. However, CBT has been mixed results too for anxiety. Lot's of clinicals show EMDR does something, so maybe another try.
I used to be a mental health professional as well. EMDR is the new brand of cognitive behavioural therapy. It’s being promoted as scientifically proven(or evidence based), but in reality, it’s a production line to get people back to work. People seem to report some kind of placebo effect. I would be curious to know who funded those EMDR studies. I wouldn’t be surprised to see disability insurance companies behind this scam. Freudian psycho analysis therapy will always be the flagship kind of psychological help. It’s slower, more painful, very expensive, but it works like clockwork.
I’m starting this but my big problem is I don’t feel my emotions. I can’t really my emotions because I’ve become numb and disembodied. So when she asks where I feel in my body . I have a hard time figuring out where
I thought EMDR used lights to rewire your brain. My therapist wants me to do it but can’t send me to the person who does EMDR until I’m not so emotionally charged. I still can’t recall the negative experiences and feelings without crying
Question: So, what is Kati thinking about during each of the three times she started tapping? The same event? Different events? What about if you don't have a lot of memories that you can remember (dissociation)? I feel, for myself, the tapping might seem more distracting for me to focus. I'm particularly bad at meditating.
You would be a good candidate for doing EMDR with a therapist who can guide you through the questions you raise. Sometimes we need help from someone who knows what to do.
Hi Kati! Do you know if EMDR is effective in treating central nervous system issues and/or nerve pain? I've been told that my traumatic past might be exacerbating my symptoms but talk therapy doesn't do that much (though it is a great resource). Thanks!
Realizing the throw pillow on the couch was actually a cute dog halfway through the video was a nice experience.
As I'm about 6 minutes into watching this, I'm feeling that intense sadness and despair in my gut area, and they haven't even started yet. I think I forget sometimes how much the trauma causes continuous pain. It becomes "normal" to hurt at some base level. "Not good enough" was the burden I wore every day as a kid.
I started to mist up, just from knowing what I'd go through in the therapy. My past experiences will probably drown me if I wasn't in a safe place.
Same. I was worried that I wouldn't be able connect to my own trauma, because I'm obviously not good enough to even do that. 🤣🤣
Emdr gave me dissociative symptoms and bad anxiety. My therapist wanted it to work so badly, that he seemed to be completely ignoring how uncomfortable I was. If you're a therapist reading this, keep in mind this may not work for everybody and you shouldn't push people with trauma to do something that isn't helping them.
EMDR won't traumatise you, but reveal whats already there. Therapists are meant to screen for dissociation (using the DES) before processing, and stop when a client signals stop. I imagine the problem has been the therapist and I'm sorry to hear you suffered.
You’re correct, it does not work for everyone. It didn’t work for me. There are therapists who swear this is the be all end all for those of us with C-PTSD but it’s not a one size fits all. EDMR can be a quick fix option but for me I had to go slow with a completely different approach.
Me and my therapist tried this but it didn’t work for w
In case of CPTSD (so complex trauma) you might want to look into: Somatic Experiencing, NARM therapy & Internal Family Systems (IFS)!
In case of CPTSD (so complex trauma) you might want to look into: Somatic Experiencing, NARM therapy & Internal Family Systems (IFS)!
The most realistic part of this video is how Kati laughed about her fear of her book being hated and the therapist not responding with a smile or a laugh. Its truly a no judgement zone and a lot of us when talking about our struggles tend to self-depricate or make light of our feelings. Therapy is a really empowering thing when you realize that your therapist genuinely views your individual struggles as serious.
Out of therapy -- if Kati said "yeah I'm worried about my book being hated haha" she'd likely get a smile and a brush-off of "ahh no it's gonna be fine". As supportive as that is, it doesn't get to the root of our beliefs about ourself.
Again, great video and thanks for being vulnerable in this session.
Actually, she DID smile around 3:26 (a half-smile). But the smile was accompanied by an empathetic nodding of the head.
The therapist LITERALLY smiled when she said that.
@@markoredano9141
Exactly. That commenter must be high.
EMDR treated my agoraphobia and ptsd from an assault. The incident happened 10 yrs ago, I had just 7 sessions this summer. Changed my life. This video is in line with my experiences, however it is hard core in real life and take their advice- takr the rest of the day off work afterwards of you can. V good example though. May I just say Katie, you did a fab job explaining it, bringing on a specialist to give an example session and you being the guinea pig! Thanku. I say to other viewers suffering from trauma and are considering it, please give it a try. Symptoms may never fully disappear, but they do improve, and even that's gotta be worth it. Blessings xx
Hope you’re doing amazing❤️ I would love to try this if it was in my country, since I already gone through shit tons of physical trauma when i was a child and other stuff
Thank you for sharing your comment. I developed a severe ptsd 6 years ago. I am to start EMDR treatment soon, after many other types of treatment therapy. I am hopeful but uncertain. Even after watching this video now I am very unsure if I am capable. I can try. I want it to help but I am also scared of another disappointment.
❤
LoveLoveLove EMDR, was life changing for me!!!!!! Severe c-ptsd symptoms that made basic daily existing and caring for myself feel impossible. Night and day difference to what my life looks like today. So thankful my counselor suggested it!
How long were you doing Emdr before you start noticing changes?
Wow for real? I relate to what you say, for you personally did it take a number of years to feel like your normal self?
@@rad4805 after about 6months of EMDR I felt like a whole person again…
@@katiebwheeler Wow this gives me a lot of hope! Tysm
😊
Dr. Alexa Altman appears calm, gentle, confident. She is not attempting to prove what she knows, does not use fillers such as “like” and “obviously.” I would like to hear more from Dr. Alexa Altman, less about Talk Therapy and more from Dr. Alexa about EMDR. Thank you 🙏🏽
showing ones vulnerability actually shows a TRUE courage.
awesome video. thx
I love EMDR! It helped me a lot when I was younger and when I became a therapist my self I got EMDR trained and then certified. I do like it a lot!
you’re an inward
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing. In case someone didn’t know, like I didn’t.
Thank you 😆!!!
Francine Shapiro Ph.D, wrote about how she developed EMDR in her book Getting Past Your Past. It opened my world to more healing, just listening to the audio book. ❤ in case you’re interested in learning more.
cool did you google it ?
Thank you Kati for being vulnerable this session gave me a better idea of what EMDR is like
I did my own little emdr season parallel to yours and experienced a little physical pain relief in my back and was able to feel an old memory and also connect to why it was so “up” and triggered right now.
Thanks for sharing this. I can’t afford therapy. I use the cbt bloom app and it helps lower some anxiety and stress an depression in particular with work and self compassion. And I love a lot of the psychology RUclips Chanel’s and always pursue healing and have a larger capacity to contain Hope and faith. ❤️
If you are looking for free resources I strongly recommend Dr. Tim Fletcher on RUclips. Specifically if you go on his live tab on his channel :) he has a live video every friday so the catalogue of his past live videos is incredible, going back years
Find student therapist that don’t charge.
I had the treatment twice, for 2 separate life events, 40 yrs apart, and it was incredibly powerful and healing for both of them. My therapist was amazing, and I highly recommend it. It may sound scary to reprocess a horrible memory, but a therapist will ensure that you feel safe in this process, and you will feel and function so much better.
I had my first EMDR session yesterday and it was enlightening, therapeutic, and similar to what you demonstrated. I'm looking forward to my next session. Kati, thank you for opening up like that. Great job to you both.
Thank you
You’re welcome.
How did it all work out for you? Was it helpful?
@@ChicagoRobert It was very helpful.
thank you for you reply. @@guskoerner75
I have been having EMDR since 22nd of April this year. I needed emdr as a child but it wasn’t around when I was 7 yrs old, (I’m in the UK). I am 39 now. I have had the goose chase as I was with the wrong mental health provider for 14 yrs (they didn’t have the right therapist for me), they referred me last year, to where I am now. Better late than never though. My therapist is doing history gathering and giving me tools to help manage the intense emotions. Thank you Kate Morton🙂🙂
Thank you for your excellent way of describing the EMDR process in this video. Many years ago I was skeptical at first, but quickly learned that EMDR could successfully treat an unhealthy memory in me. I had a traumatic experience in childhood that continued to haunt me as an adult. It took only one EMDR session to stop the target memory from haunting me. As I write this comment, I do not re-live the memory in my mind or have side-effects in my body from the memory. I have no interest in the memory whatsoever. EMDR has been effective in treating other trauma events in my life. I forgot to mention that the light bar and hand vibe devices were also used in addition to the tapping demo in this video.
As a Therapist using EMDR with patients and going thru EMDR myself for a phobia, I highly recommend this technique! The relief is enormous!
I tried tapping and it made cry so much...i do want to cure my generalized anxiety disorder and panic and phobias
But I did not tap like that I did it the way Ortner does... side of hand then sife of eyes under eyes etc
EMDR was one of the most incredible experiences I’ve ever had - so grateful, so helpful! Thank you for a great video, the information, and vulnerability! 🙌🏻
Kati you are incredible to be so open and vulnerable with us. 🤗🙏🕊❤🌈 Hope this will help others to get the right help from their therapists. God bless you
My therapist and I have been doing EMDR sessions over the last month or two, and they have been SOOOO helpful to me. I had a pretty big "epiphany" moment recently from an EMDR session figuring out where my Anxious Attachment Style originated from, and it honestly feels like a huge weight has been lifted off me. I have to be honest, this all seemed extremely "woo woo" to me when my therapist first brought it up, but the proof is in the pudding as they say, and I can't argue with results.
I also just started EMDR to also treat my anxious attachment style, your comment gives me hope!! I have cptsd so idk how to even start, I dont have one traumatic event but a traumatic upbringing. Hope it keeps helping you heal, best of luck 🤞🏽
It wasn't one event for me either, but a bunch of stuff from my childhood that shaped who I became. That epiphany was just the start. Then the work began, and is still continuing, on reprocessing all that crap in a way that helps me to not be so AA anymore. @@acanamero226
Wow this is the exact reason as to why I’m looking into EMDR right now. i have such a difficult time figuring out what my traumas are and living with anxious attachment style has been very difficult for me
I find my executive functioning is gone after 10 rounds of processing in a session, gotta eat and nap afterwards. The processing is also working in ur subconscious so you have to fully immerse yourself in the emotions involved in the memory or else you won’t be trimming the memory network with the tapping. For me it takes about 4-6 weeks for integration after EMDR and I feel lobotomised constantly when I’m in a processing cycle, but then we swap back into the mapping cycle and I’m good again. As hard as it is sometimes, I love it cos when I get back into mapping, I can see and feel the huge steps forward I’m making!
Brave woman to share her inmost thoughts and feelings with the world. I totally agree with her. EMDR and psychotherapy in general is weird. It is awkward and deep down in my bones seems like it shouldn't be a part of the human experience. Like it was never meant to be a thing. Sort of like a twist in the universe that was not supposed to happen.
Abuse itself, was also never meant to be a thing. Psychotherapy has saved my marriage and probably my life. EMDR is fascinating. I loved it and want to continue when/if covid ends.
@@DeepBlue7 you can do it online
Remote EMDR
@@saetae9208 I used the buzzers though (provided by the therapist) not the eye movement.
No shit but if gone unacknowledged like a broken leg it stiffles one into therapy from others who have no personal clue on what they really don't know
@@DeepBlue7 you doing good now ????
I had EMDR in 2018 it was so damaging for me, I have a rare sleep disorder so the weekly sessions were too much I couldn’t focus. I asked to have them every 2 weeks and he wouldn’t. So after 10 sessions I was left with all these traumas that I didn’t think too much about before, they really fucked me up. I’ve been seeing my therapist almost 7 years and she suggested it so I took a break while seeing the emdr specialist. I immediately went back to seeing her after but I’m still not quite over some of the things that were brought up. I know EMDR can be great for some people but it’s definitely not for everyone.
What symptoms do you suffer from have you tried contrast showers
@@nylakhan5658 I’m a lot better now as I still see my normal therapist once a month, after the EMDR it just opened up a lot and was left so it took me a good year and a half to unpack it with my regular therapist. Unfortunately with my sleep it makes doing anything that has to be done regularly impossible, as the time I fall asleep and wake up change an hour or so every day. I’ve never heard of contrast showers what are they?
@@Sarahhedger I hear what you are saying. If we have repressed memories they are repressed for a reason and this is why I am hesistant about EMDR myself. It also makes sense things can get worse before they get better and maybe it would have helped to continue processing.
@@betterworld2958 I know for some people it works well, my sleep disorder is far worse now so I’d never be able to do weekly sessions. I think you just have to try it and see if it’s a good fit for you.
Amen
I was in Therapy off and on for 8 years before finding my current therapist who recommended EMDR and i have made more progress in 6 months than in all the years before that combined
HI ladies, The past few weeks have been challenging and it just seemed to be getting worse. i texted my therapist this morning and the past week i have been doing all the things with no help. journaling, yoga and meditaion. anyway my client does emdr therapy. she sent me a video about it and after watching it your video popped up. I did it. I have many trauma and tragedies. (traumedy). the biggest one is the murder of my 21 year old son and next month will mark 8 years. i am/was ok am nervous about it. anyway to the point i did your video and when i did the tapping it instantly made me feel better. i think my brain had something else to think about besides that pain. thank you soo much ladies
I think the magic in the EMDR is that the therapist is methodically interested in the patient. I had two and a half years of therapy, usually twice a week that was spent by the therapist basically ignoring me, stating that she understands (though it never felt like it) and telling me to just act like I did not have any problems. It was supposed to be cognitive-analytic but it was almost a fraud. She was in retirement age and had worked with institutionalized patients before her current private practice (i.e. hopeless cases and that's maybe why she had never learned to help anyone).
Sorry to hear you had a poor experience. Try again. EMDR is different and can help.
Kati is so sweet. It was so genuine when she expressed her fears about her book 💚
EMDR was the most horrible great experience I've ever had. It made my panic attacks way way worse but that could also be because covid hit 3 months in and had to suddenly stop 🙃
I'm a much more positive person now because of it but for me it was like "forget coping skills! 😰". hits everyone different and from my experience there was no preparing despite coping skills (it helped but not as much as before). It's very hard but worth it. Keep in mind it continues until your mind processes it, meaning it continues after seeing your therapist, or so my therapist told me.
In short, be prepared as much as you can and it's very worth it in the end. Not many things bother me anymore, I see different sides to things and I realize I'm responsible for ME and not other adults. 😁 (this is just from my experience and not to be taken as medical advice)
Thank you for sharing. I plan to proceed with EMDR but my therapist would like to have my first 2 sessions prior to my trip to Ireland to visit my partner for a month. I've asked her what her opinion is considering similar experiences and what I would need to do in the even something happens
Hey, thank you for being vulnerable in this mini-session. I wasn't actually expecting that. Hugs. We all struggle, eh? You got this.
I haven't done EMDR in almost a decade and I'm willing to give it another try. It was exhausting and tough but I think it helped me process what happened and move on from it
Great video. I just finished a session a couple days ago. It is insane how much this actually works. I deal with lots of ruminating thoughts and re-living old traumatic experiences. My therapist recommended this route and that memory we worked on genuinely no longer affects me. Whenever I think of it, I am reminded of the belief about myself being changed to a positive one.
It is really hard to open up and be vulnerable about past experiences but wow I couldn't recommend trying this strongly enough if you have the ability.
edit: It does feel like you're doing it "wrong" when you first go through it. Very untraditional and if your mind has the tendency to wander your therapist will guide you back to the memory and the beliefs associated with it in a kind way.
EMDR saved me from PTSD.
does it really work?
@@maxbelizaire9261for many people it has miraculous results.
I was given a test in 1996 when I had to go back into therapy and it had test results showing ptsd very very strong. Around 1999 one therapist started EMDR treatments on me and often they worked. My mind started working better. My handwriting improved and my thinking was clearer. I’ve had multiple traumas, several big ones from prior to age 10. When the EMDR was actually working, in my mind it felt a little bit like an orgasm or when I quickly fall asleep.
thank you for opening up.. a lot of people probably feel not good enough, but most hide it behind their reactions to their emotions, or even behind deflecting. I appreciate your honesty.
I'm so thankful that EMDR helped me. The incidence of fairly vivid & exhausting dreams & nightmares went away almost entirely. I was aware of some dreams while sleeping, & still am now ... but since having EMDR I don't remember them after waking.
Yelling coaches was a thing for me too! I loved playing football growing up so I stuck around. Plus I had friends to play with. I remember every time practice or a game would end I felt a huge sigh of relief. Obviously the coaches were never being malicious, but my young brain took it that way. Performance anxiety? That fear has carried on to my adulthood, preventing me from getting a job. I just started therapy a few months ago and it's been great. My therapist is awesome
I also had an experience like that with a cruel stepfather. However, my mom was the rescuer. I wrote a book and saw the influence it had on that venture. ( not feeling comfortable asking for the cost of the book and feeling more comfortable giving them away) Listening to you saying that her dad was there as a resource, made me realize that my mom was there as a resource. For example, he would give my siblings coins and not me and mocked me for crying. I also later realize that he manipulated others and did negative things to them, and he could not get to me because I was a strong willed child. So him giving them coins and not me, making me feel that I did not deserve money, was an attempt to break me down which he did not succeed in doing. Now that we are adults , the girls that he broke down are angry about their serious / secret types of abuse from him.
One can never stop learning EMDR. Today as I sit looking at your demo, I am just saying, my gosh, God and my mom was there as a resource so now God and the world is here for me as my resource. My New Reality ❤❤❤❤
I can tell you what the trauma is, what it created in me , why I respond the way I do. I recognize intrusive thoughts and know exactly where they come from and I have no hope. I am overwhelmed and overcome with grief, fear, utter hopeless
I could be a therapist if I went to school for it, but I am so frkgn broken so I could never do anything in the mental health field since I have so much repeated trauma. I wish I could be traumatized by a coach and sport!
Thank you for this video. I've tried EMDR a few times last year and doing it again currently with the same therapist.
I find I tend to shut down my emotions, so EMDR can be tricky for me at times. But I find the more I talk about the situation and what happened, the easier it is for me to feel.
EMDR is an interesting therapy! Im keen to keep trying it.
Ironically I just started EMDR* & this series has matched my progress exactly!! This has been SO helpful!
*Turns out 20yrs of CBT/DBT isn’t enough to even scratch the surface of my boundary & attachment issues 😩
yes
Did EMDR work for you would you say?
Did it work?
Sensational video ! Gives a eye opening insider view on EMDR. Thank you for the guts to be vulnerable . This is a huge value to others , myself included .
What a comfort being in a company of Dr Alexa. That's what regulated nervous system looks like to me ☺️ Thank you ✨
Thank you for providing this for people to see what it is so that people can make better decisions.
I found that I couldn't trust enough, or rather feel safe enough to do emdr. I am in the midst of prolonged exposure therapy, and feel safe enough to talk about it. But I am scared to let my mind free float unless I am alone.
Take those beliefs that you cannot trust or feel safe to the therapy session. That is a perfect starting point for doing 'shadow work' and EMDR is sufficiently different from cognitive therapy to let you see relief much sooner. Maybe repeat the affirmation "I can trust people".
@@marktwain368 I would recommend parts work more than EMDR for this sort of situation. When we feel unsafe there is a reason and if this person feels too unsafe right now a good therapist will honor this and see that maybe emdr is not the right treatment for them right now or ever.
This video gives me a new perspective on how the process of EMDR is supposed to occur.
I went to EMDR for just over a year and my therapist did several things including the "free association" and I did my best to give my answer. She promptly responded with judgement to my "free association" saying that it was based cognitively rather than what she instructed me to give her; we did not get closure on that issue and I ended up not trusting her intentions with me and I stopped therapy.
My question: if EMDR therapists are trained that "free association" is supposed to me judgement-free, then why would my therapist decide to break that understanding on her part?
Thank you for making this video!! I am an EMDR therapist and I have looked for a video to explain EMDR to my clients. This will be perfect for that!!!
Dr. Alexa has suuuch a calming and relaxing voice 😌
My opinion is that Kati does not respond well to offensive behaviour but responds better to encouragement because you always do your best. I don't know why it would make you feel not good enough.
I've done this type of therapy a few times. I didn't get anything from it but I know a few people who find it very helpful.
It really is something I recommend everyone should experience at least once
This was very helpful! I applied it to my situation pausing here and there with my emotions and questions and feelings. I can breath now and i feel lighter..thanks ladies
Congratulations on 1M subscribers Kati! You are great! keep on the good job. You’ve been really helpfull through the years and also very consistent with your videos. Thanks for all you’ve done
This is an interesting series on EMDR. Thanks for doing an example for us Kati, that was very helpful. And you are smart, kind & enough! ❤️😊
8:43 this moment was so sweet! 💕 Just little moments taking care of each other haha aww! Also thank you for the video!
Thanks so much for sharing and letting us see you. You both... ❤
I'm about to start EMDR and this is an incredible experience to witness. I'm kinda nervous about trying but also very excited to be on a new therapeutic path, hoping I can start improving. So this really demystified the process, the jargon, the possibilities. Thank you both so much💜
Emdr helped me reveal things I buried with my cptsd it was painful because I dissociate with pain I dont know how to deal, Emdr works for me but....it is typically expensive.
EMDR has changed my life!! Thank-you for this video. Great job Kati! Keep going with it!
Oh God, Kati! I’m SO proud of you! I don’t think I could do this. Quiet makes me feel like I’m going to puke. You’re so brave though. Thanks for being so vulnerable. WHO told you you weren’t good enough?? I will fight them!
"you cannot do it wrong" sounds like a challenge.
If that statement triggers you, you need to explore WHY and where it goes in your subconscious mind.
@@marktwain368 I was joking. Git gud.
Lmao 💀💀
"Ok Dee, umm... Where do I put my feet?"
@@marktwain368you must be fun at parties.
“YOU…ARE…FUCKING…AMAZING!!!”
::frustratingly shaking Kati::
Seems like you have some inner work to do. Why not arrange a session for yourself?
I love this. My naturalopath recommend this. Tonight at my counseling session she also recommend this. We did a short positive one using her pin instead of tapping. I'm going to use that experience this coming weeks to find peace. This was amazing to watch. I am very hopeful, I'm so done with my emotions controlling me in a negative way.
That was pretty powerful, I could tap right into it. I wonder if there are any EMDR therapists where I live, as I do get the sense that it could help with some of my issues. Or Alexa Altman comes over here, she has such a soothing way of handling the process.
Are you feeling any better christoph
This was very helpful. As a hypnotherapist, I'm like, okay. Trying not to be the clinician and client - brain still runs. There are some instances I am aware of already from having practiced and facilitated EMT. From watching this video, I had another layer revealed. VERY HELPFUL. I can see how it's a deeper root of the other instances. THANKS FOR SHARING!
Dr. Altman seems like a really great EMDR therapist! Unfortunately my only experience with EMDR was a bad one (therapist and I didn’t vibe) and it cost so much that I was discouraged to continue, but seeing this gives me hope that I can find the right therapist for me.
If you didnt like a therapist get a new one .
It helped me at the time I had a respectful therapist who knew not to push anything on any one it's personal yes this does help depends on how okay someone is to be able to have safe boundaries they basically are there to affirm what wasn't affirmed during the abuse and the side affects from the abuse that has traumatized one for years
I offer juggling therapy lessons and coaching so people can do self applied EMDR therapy/bilateral stimulation type activities. Look up the studies for juggling therapy. I believe the reason juggling therapy works is it naturally includes many other therapies in its patterns that you learn. It is physical exercise /physical therapy, it is a movement meditation, it is art therapy, it is EMDR (in a sense, since the bean bags are going back and forth in a structured pattern and rhythm. It is causing you to focus on the action , bringing you into the present moment.
I don’t get the tapping. The EM in EMDR is Eye Movement. It has been proven that the rapid eye movement is what recalls the memories and helps to desensitize the situation or feelings that are being recalled. I have been doing EMDR for a little over a year and only do it with my therapist moving her 2 fingers back & forth with my eyes following. It has worked so well for me! I feel the tapping myself would be so distracting
the tapping does the same effect as the eye side to side eye movements. For example, a client with a history of being hit might not respond well to have a therapist wave their hands in front of them so having the client tap (on the shoulders or lap) is a better option.
Tapping affects and stimulates both sides of the brain (bilateral) so it gets the ball rolling, just as eye movement does. Each eye is connected to a different side (hemisphere) of your brain. The point is to activate and reroute neural networks in the brain.
This definitely looks like something I need. Thank you for this video. Important for people too be informed the different types of therapy out there.
i’ve been trying to find a therapist in emdr ! not easy where i live but excited to start! I really enjoyed this video thanks for providing a demo
thank you so much. My brother shared this with me and I shared it on facebook. I have a lot of anxiety and a chronic illness that I think came from all that anxiety so I'd like to give this a shot.
We support that thought! Go for it, girl!
what chronic illnesess do you have? i have psychsomtic flu like symptoms for many years from anger, resentment and rage
I did EMDR by myself using a YT video. Mainly cuz the mind was a total mess after a breakup.
That evening after 30mins of doing it, i realized i felt completely better and couldn't even think about my Ex, like she was blocked from my thoughts. The rest of the evening was perfect.
Then after 4 months of being ghosted, she then message me that same evening late at night...i was like "well...shit"
....The effects of the EMDR just disappeared and never worked again.
But it did work that day, been looking for that ever since.
Becaaaauseeee… what she believes about you contradicts what you want to believe about yourself. The therapy is a learning experience. You teach yourself to view the relationship and you in it in a different way. Her behavior simply spoke louder to you than your own convictions. I hope this helps.
In this video we see a current issue (in your case a breakup) tied to a deeper past issue (which has not been resolved or even addressed for you) and that is why you snapped back into negative symptoms. You need to do more work, buddy. Don't give up and don't give in.
@@seriouscat2231 Thank you, this helps with my situation where others' opinions seem to be louder than mine
Journaling your feelings sometimes gives the same result
This was kind of a trigger because I feel like I’m never good enough in my mothers eyes. Years of emotional abuse from her. But I want to do this to get over those triggers.
I've been researching EMDR for my research methods class all semester (I'm getting my master's in social work), and this has been the most helpful video on the topic. Thank you, Kati and Alexa, for sharing this and your wisdom on this topic.
As a retired 35 yr experienced MSW, I would urge you to research what studies confirm that this works.....I find too many unstated therapist beliefs that are shaping this session.
@@s1haron Yes, I understand what you are saying. This was a tough topic to research because of the controversies around it. I did A LOT of research from reading academic texts, to watching videos like this one to understand what a session looked like, to reading dozens of academic journal articles. I found a lot of peer-reviewed articles that showed EMDR to be an effective treatment for adults (I didn't look at articles with children). The issue I ran into and discussed would be good for future research, is understanding the working mechanisms because we don't fully know why EMDR works. There are a lot of theories, but it would be helpful to have clarity on why it works. We also need some more quality follow-up studies, especially since EMDR does not require homework or direct exposure to the traumatic memories. This would especially be helpful in various populations to ensure it has lasting effects. An interesting fact in a meta-analysis done in 2020, EMDR had lower drop-out rates than Cognitive Processing Therapy and Prolonged Exposure. So all that to say that there are pros and cons to using this as a therapy, and I did a lot of research to try to make sense of it all.
At the start of the video the information and big words were so confusing. I got lost trying to understand it. By the end of the video it was easier to follow. I have never experienced EMDR myself but told by other therapists i was recieving treatment from would all tell me i am not ready. That was discouraging. I think it would be benefiting. Thanks Kati.
There’s a previous video where they explain all the basics!
You both helped me remember some targets. You're right about the ratings, they take you into cerebral mode. Thank you!
I can't wait to start therapy. Right now I feel limited with my insurance. I really hope I find a good one that's right for me.
Thank you for this video. I've read a lot of information about EMDR and heard explanations. I did not find that very helpful. To see a session broken down with explanation was far more beneficial. I have been to many therapists who believe they know what to do, but it's a session of rambling and reliving trauma without a point. It's been a struggle to find a person who can get out of the their own way. My most recent therapist, who I will no longer see, didn't have an answer when I said what is the game plan here. He just became confused. he had suggested Brainspotting and EMDR, but when I asked him to explain all he could say is I've seen it work. I told him I have read about each extensively. He told me I did not know what it was. That angered me, because without discussion, how would he know what I do or don't know about it? I have a difficult time trusting people who talk in circles. I want a therapist who can help me help myself. I paint. He said he painted and suggested we do a project together. I told him at one time I would find excuses not to leave my home. I did not say it was still a problem. Yet, he suggested I have someone accompany me when I go to the store. What? I can take a painting class if I want someone to paint with me. I don't need to rely on a co-dependent to accompany me when I shop. It's so hard finding a therapist who can figure out what their role is in therapy or who doesn't bring in their personal life to the point where I am dealing with their issues. The best part ( disgusted eye roll ) is he told me I'm not trying. It was very hard to keep from saying, "Maybe you just suck at this." I've watched many of Kati's videos. It is helpful to hear her own struggles because there's a reason. It's an example. There's a strategy explained that I can apply to my own situation. I'm not invited to her pity party. I try, and use, many strategies. Some work for me and some don't. I hope other therapists watch and read the comments. SOOOOO many could really learn something. Thank you and your guest, Kati. The video was helpful to me in so many ways.
I have just become aware of this type of therapy and am so interested to try it. I have a memory from when I was 4 that was very traumatic to me and over the years my beliefs about what that meant have intensified as I use other experiences to validate those beliefs and I now have constant pain from fibromyalgia. I would love to have emotional and physical relief. Thank you so much for this!
Wow! Amazing & educational for me. Thank you for your vulnerability. You are awesome and more than enough! Subscribing.
Thank you for being so vulnerable and sharing this with us and going through this experience to show others. I have thought about this and wondered if I wanted to look into it. I see other kinds of therapies. I don’t Know with my level of all the trauma I have experienced if this would help me or not but thank you for sharing. I love your videos.❤️
Tried to do it once. The therapist sent me back to my actual therapist saying i couldn't have two therapists.
I’m sorry that happened-I know a lot of people who went to another therapist just for EMDR then came back to the other therapist. I’m sorry that option wasn’t given to you.
I am sorry this happened. I know several therapists that do EMDR for clients from other therapist (my self included).
I would ask your therapist if there is another therapist you could be referred to for EMDR.
That sucks, I'm so sorry you got crappy treatment. I want to seek a EMDR Therapist. What state do you live in, if you don't mind my asking?
@@Silveryback india
That is nonsense. That's like saying you can't have two pair of high-heeled footwear.
Starts about 2:33
This is an excellent session. I have the initial training in it. I also noticed that when my session with my client ended, there was a significant point we could’ve gone into so we did not consider that the final session.
My mother in law and my little brother both have done EMDR. My insurance denied me from getting it. Im looking for a therapist that my insurance does cover that is able to do EMDR. I have a great deal of trauma going back as far as I can remember as well as being aware of other traumatic things that happened to me as a baby and toddler. I also have trauma from adult hood as well. Ive done talk therapy for years. It hasn't helped much. I think I need EMDR badly.
My therapist suggested EMDR. My experience was while in the middle of this treatment I was asked to confront my sister. When I tried to do that, everything went black! It scared me that everything could go black with my eyes open. I busted into tears. It was obvious I wasn’t ready for this treatment. 😢
Whoa. So it caused additional trauma. Yikes.
EMDR does NOT require anyone to confront a traumatic memory. You take baby steps and deal with pieces NOT the whole enchilada! What is different from Talk Therapy is that neural networks that hold trauma are relaxed and reprogrammed. Find someone who knows what they are doing.
I love EMDR but I prefer the therapist using the finger movement or thera tappers. Awesome video. I just can't find EMDR therapist since Covid hit. I'm told they quit doing EMDR because of socal distancing.
My therapist and I are about to start EMDR, and we have been meeting virtually since we started therapy. She showed me the website we will be using, you can either use the screen where it has sort of a ball going back and forth and you can change the speed and track it with your eyes, or use headphones and listen to a sound in each ear. So it definitely can be done online!
So what's stopping you now? Do you have a deep belief that it won't work? That you don't deserve to be helped? Get going. buddy!
@@marktwain368 I don't have an EMDR therapist in the area.
What about PTSD from a physical assault. That doesn't have beliefs about how I see myself w self talk. It does different w intrusive emotions, negative memories and anger popping up over small stressors. This causes more anxiety, exhaustion and stress for me
Thank you so much for sharing this video. This was incredibly helpful and I so appreciate you both for making this.
I gave this a shot 20 plus years ago. I worked with a highly qualified PhD who went on to work at WHO. I was a little skeptical, but in so much anxiety I would try anything. We did eye movement, which is not shown in this example. We probably did a dozen sessions. Results were marginal, but not spectacular. However, CBT has been mixed results too for anxiety. Lot's of clinicals show EMDR does something, so maybe another try.
Tomorrow's my first reprocessing session. Thank you so much for this demonstration!!! ❤️❤️
I wish you the best 💙
How did the session go?
Thank you for let me see what EMDR is. Naw i know its not ever mach for me i got anxsiety and flashback just from watch katy doing it... (Cptsd)
I used to be a mental health professional as well. EMDR is the new brand of cognitive behavioural therapy. It’s being promoted as scientifically proven(or evidence based), but in reality, it’s a production line to get people back to work. People seem to report some kind of placebo effect. I would be curious to know who funded those EMDR studies. I wouldn’t be surprised to see disability insurance companies behind this scam. Freudian psycho analysis therapy will always be the flagship kind of psychological help. It’s slower, more painful, very expensive, but it works like clockwork.
I’m starting this but my big problem is I don’t feel my emotions. I can’t really my emotions because I’ve become numb and disembodied. So when she asks where I feel in my body . I have a hard time figuring out where
Be honest and say you’re numb and can’t feel it anywhere
@@joannvalentin-alvarez1843 That is really good advice. I also had this problem.
I thought EMDR used lights to rewire your brain. My therapist wants me to do it but can’t send me to the person who does EMDR until I’m not so emotionally charged. I still can’t recall the negative experiences and feelings without crying
Nonsense! No need to wait to give EMDR a chance to help you. Read Shapiro's book about it but don't hesitate to climb in and turn the key.
Question: So, what is Kati thinking about during each of the three times she started tapping? The same event? Different events? What about if you don't have a lot of memories that you can remember (dissociation)? I feel, for myself, the tapping might seem more distracting for me to focus. I'm particularly bad at meditating.
You would be a good candidate for doing EMDR with a therapist who can guide you through the questions you raise. Sometimes we need help from someone who knows what to do.
You are amazing, Kati! Thank you for doing this.
Great content! Just had my first official session. Know I understand even more. Ty
Hi Kati! Do you know if EMDR is effective in treating central nervous system issues and/or nerve pain? I've been told that my traumatic past might be exacerbating my symptoms but talk therapy doesn't do that much (though it is a great resource). Thanks!
You are amazing thank you for all you do
Dog is adorable.