Is EMDR Therapy Right for My Trauma? An Interview with Mendel Toron, LCSW.
By Mendel Toron, LCSW | Mendel Toron Psychotherapy Group | Aventura, FL
What makes someone a candidate for EMDR Therapy?
Most people could be a candidate for EMDR. That's usually the first thing I say when someone asks me this. But to answer it properly, we have to define what trauma actually is because most people think of it too narrowly.
What We Mean by Trauma
Trauma isn't just the big, obvious difficult events. It can also include adverse experiences that impacted your sense of the world. Typically these will be events and unhelpful beliefs specifically things related to childhood, safety, environment. If you've experienced difficult experiences in your life, you can likely benefit from at least some part of EMDR, even if it's just the initial stages.
The Sign That EMDR Is for You
When someone comes in and asks if EMDR is right for them, I want to hear a little more about their experience first. But here's what I'm listening for: if you've been able to make sense of something on a logical level maybe in talk therapy, maybe even on your own, but emotionally you're still finding yourself stuck, then EMDR is usually going to be helpful. It works on the emotional level, the right side of the brain. That's where talk therapy doesn't always reach.
Single Incident vs. Complex Trauma
Whether it'll be smoother or take more time depends on your specific situation. For single incident traumas like a car accident, a military veteran, something like that, EMDR is pretty straightforward. For multiple childhood trauma experiences, or what we'd call complex PTSD, you're going to need more time for preparation. But it can be done. It's just a little more complex.
What People Are Actually Afraid Of
The biggest thing I hear isn't really a misconception, it's a fear. People are worried they're not going to have any control or that they're going to get hurt. That's the main one.
The other thing is people think it's just going to happen to them. Like hypnosis. But the truth is EMDR is an involved process where they are active participants. They are actively processing through material. Something is going to change in how they view the experience and beliefs similar to other depth-oriented psychotherapies. It's not a magic wand. Although, sometimes when somebody looks back and the memory doesn't bother them anymore, it can feel that way. But it's them processing it. They did that.
The Bigger Concern: Who's Doing the Treatment
EMDR is an evidence-based treatment for trauma. But for EMDR, the bigger concern isn't whether it can work, it's who's doing the treatment.
Green flags: someone who is EMDR certified and practices it regularly. Not somebody who happens to be trained in EMDR or took the training once. It's actually a plus if they have other trainings too, like parts work or somatic work, and that they're a trauma therapist. EMDR is their primary work, not just another modality they use.
The harder thing to filter is the way they talk about trauma and about EMDR. If they talk about EMDR like it's a tool they picked up, as opposed to treating it as its own therapeutic modality, that's already a yellow flag.
What EMDR Is Really Doing
I think there's something important about how we look at EMDR therapy for trauma. Instead of seeing it as this ugly thing you have to overcome, EMDR can be looked at as helping people integrate experiences they've been through. It's not about overcoming. It's about integration. That's a meaningful difference.
Mendel Toron, LCSW
Founder & Clinical Director, Mendel Toron Psychotherapy Group
Aventura, FL | Hybrid Practice Serving All of Florida