EMDR is gaining a lot of traction as an effective treatment for trauma and PTSD. But how does it work for complex trauma?
Complex trauma refers to long-term exposure to traumatic experiences. It most often impacts children who were victims of child abuse. But, it can also occur in adults living in domestic violence situations or witnessing multiple instances of violence. Prisoners of war, people who have experienced trafficking, and those who have been tortured also often struggle with complex trauma.
Eye-movement desensitization and reprocessing can help to heal those unseen wounds by changing the way you see and process your complex experiences.
Let’s dig a little deeper into how EMDR works for complex trauma, and why you should consider it if you’re struggling.
How Does EMDR for Complex Trauma Work?
Complex trauma is treated very similarly with EMDR as any other type of trauma. The main difference is that it might take more time and more sessions to heal. There’s a lot to unpack when it comes to that much trauma, and the process of moving forward can’t be rushed.
Eventually, as you work through the process, you won’t always have to feel like you need to be on alert. Your mind can let go of the trauma and begin to benefit from the process itself.
When you’re able to break through that wall, your EMDR experience will be very similar to someone experiencing regular trauma. Your therapist will work with you to desensitize the traumatic experiences and help you reprocess them through a series of rapid eye movements.
EMDR doesn’t cause you to forget what happened. Those memories can, and likely will, still be there. However, when you reprocess the way you see them, they won’t have the same hold over you that they once did. You’ll know that you’re in control and you don’t have to live in fear or turmoil over what happened.
What Are the Challenges?
In addition to taking more time, it’s not uncommon for people who have experienced complex trauma to dissociate from those experiences. It’s a defense mechanism. When you dissociate from past trauma, you’re trying to protect yourself from the horrible, frightening memories, so they won’t plague you every second of the day.
The good news? An EMDR therapist will be able to help you with dissociation right away. You’ll talk about your history in the first session, and a therapist should be able to tell whether you’re dealing with dissociation. You’ll work through that first before continuing with the regular EMDR practice.
What to Look For
It’s important to note that EMDR for complex trauma requires a bit more skill than EMDR for “regular” types of trauma. Consider looking for a therapist who specializes in this type of trauma, so they’ll be able to invest the right amount of time into your healing journey.
Complex trauma also might require a bit more up-front talking. One of the reasons some people benefit from EMDR is that it’s different from other types of talk therapy. You typically don’t have to open up as much. You can let the work of reprocessing carry the heaviest load.
But with a long history of trauma, you’ll benefit from sharing more about what you’ve been through at the beginning of your EMDR journey. If you’re interested in EMDR, take the time to prepare yourself and understand that you’ll have to open up. If you’ve been trying to avoid those memories for some time, mentally readying yourself to share your past will benefit you as you start your sessions.
No matter what time of long, complex trauma you’ve experienced in the past, it’s likely EMDR can help. Feel free to contact me for more information or to get started on your healing journey.