EMDR Online Group Therapy Course

EMDR stands for Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing. It is a powerful therapy that has been around since the 1980’s, that utilises the competitive stimulation of bilateral eye movements (or hand tapping, or even small cognitive tasks), to help degrade the emotional charge of the memory. The picture of the memory becomes more fuzzy, or distant, and less emotional. Once the memory is uncoupled from its emotional charge, we can learn something new and positive about ourselves in relation to that memory, and this is what helps us feel calmer about ourselves and our capabilities and our future. 

The group works in a zoom meeting, and is much the same as a face to face experience, but for the bilateral stimulation we use hand tapping (the butterfly hug) or eye movements across the computer screen. The process is a little bit more formalised in a group than in a one:one situation, but just as effective. 

We keep certain rules around our Group experience. There is no sharing of difficult experiences - the reason for this is that it is important to not traumatise others with hearing about other peoples difficult experiences. This is different to most therapy groups which encourage sharing, but with EMDR you are here to work on your own trauma in a specific, formalised way. The benefit comes from the EMDR process, not from sharing/community/validation from the other group members. We may share a positive memory, but never the difficult ones. 

Most people are ready for EMDR. In the pre-workshop interview we will address specific concerns, and the questionaires are also designed to ascertain readiness. If there is doubt about how you will go in the group format, we can reassess our plan and make alternate arrangements. In certain circumstances, EMDR is not suitable: if you are actively suicidal, if you dissociate frequently, if you have DID (Dissociative Identity Disorder) then I would advise to source an inperson, one:one EMDR therapist. 

I would encourage you to watch the educational videos as this is part of understanding yourself and the effects of events in your life. Many people find this really helpful. Also the experiential activities are designed to give you tools to enable you to calm yourself whenever needed. Aside form this, No! you don’t have homework. EMDR is different to other therapies like CBT, where there is a heavy focus on homework. The work you do in session is done and complete, and you can rely on it without having to reinforce it through affirmations etc. 

Very likely! Most people have some difficult memories, even if they don’t classify them as traumatic. It may be that a divorce was difficult and bruising, and you are reluctant to date again,  or ill health or hospital experiences have left you with a sense of fragility around your health, or avoidance of hospitals.  Maybe step parenting has eroded your sense of self esteem, or bullying at work has left you with no confidence in the workplace. Maybe you have seen some footage on the news that you just can’t shake from your mind. Any experience that you find yourself trying not to think about, or that changes your behaviour in a negative way, is a perfect target for EMDR.

EMDR is unique in that the therapist does not need to know all about your trauma. Your brain has an enormous capacity to heal - the therapist is simply creating the environment for your brain to heal itself. You will make your own new neural connections, there is a strong inner drive to wellness and mental health and growth. Just ‘disentangling’ the memory from where it is captured in the emotional brain, will then allow you to make the next, helpful and healing connection. Clients will come to their own place of resolution and positive learning, often without too much input from the therapist.