What Makes EMDR Different from Talk Therapy?

A question I often hear is what makes EMDR different from traditional talk therapy?

Talk therapy is probably what comes to mind when you think of therapy. It is the process of freely speaking with your therapist about whatever is going on in your life. During that time, you and your therapist will identify your thoughts and feelings, highlight major themes, and connect your experiences. Talk therapy can help you gain insight into your experiences and improve self-awareness on patterns of behavior. And most importantly, talk therapy can give you a safe place to unload your life’s stressors and process them in a non-judgemental environment. However, talk therapy has its limitations, particularly surrounding its application to treating complex trauma.

Enter, EMDR…

Okay, so how is EMDR different from traditional talk therapy?

• EMDR emphasizes resourcing above all

EMDR follows an eight phase approach, with the second phase focused entirely on preparation. What this means is that before you experience any reprocessing, you should have had plenty of time to build upon your readiness to go there. During the second phase of EMDR, you’ll work to find resources that allow you to remain grounded, present, and regulated in the face of distress. This phase also allows for conversation between you and your therapist about your triggers, how you generally respond to stress, and what is needed for you to feel safe and supported. 

Appropriate preparation is crucial for treatment, as it helps you to be ready to dive into sensitive and painful experiences. 

Traditional talk therapy is much less structured, and you may find yourself talking about traumatic material before you feel ready. This can decrease your sense of control around discussing your experiences, and could even lead to retraumatization. 

• EMDR allows for true healing from trauma

EMDR changes the way your brain is wired. This means that things you currently find triggering may not feel triggering at all once you get through treatment. The same goes for distress you feel when looking back on traumatic experiences and negative beliefs you hold. In essence, EMDR allows space for true healing and change. On the other hand, talk therapy can allow for expansion on coping skills, managing triggers, and being more self-aware. However, your triggers still exist, and your nervous system may continue functioning from a place of survival, rather than safety. 

• You don’t have to talk about the nitty gritty details of your experiences

In the past, narrative therapy was the standard form of treatment for trauma. Clients were expected to talk about all of the details surrounding their traumatic experience as a way of processing the experience and moving beyond it. What we now know is that we can retraumatize through telling the story over and over without having the coping skills and safety needed to process the experience. So not only is talking about the details of a trauma unnecessary, it can be harmful. 

The cool part about EMDR is that you can go through all of the treatment without ever having to explain exactly what happened. In fact, as a therapist I don’t need to know much about what happened in order for treatment to be effective. When it comes time to identify traumatic experiences or target memories, you only need to create a tagline for that memory that you’re able to associate with that experience. Going into reprocessing you’re asked to give a brief summary of what you’re experiencing–there's no need to describe everything happening. For many this can feel like a relief, as so often survivors are told that they need to talk about what happened to them when that is the last thing they want to do.

Closing Thoughts

Talk therapy serves a valuable place and is an effective and supportive treatment style for many. However, it shouldn't be used when working through trauma, specifically complex trauma. Rather, EMDR allows for true healing and change, builds upon resources and coping skills, and maintains safety while working through traumatic memories.

If EMDR sounds like a good fit for you or if you have any questions about the experience, reach out today!