Posted by Toby on April 14, 1999, at 12:50:59
In reply to EMDR--therapy--for TOBY, posted by DL on April 13, 1999, at 21:42:02
Your new therapist wrote:
> AS for the EMDR exercise itself, you may want to be thinking about a specific memory that you feel best explains to you the way that you are presently relating to your world. As in something that made a statement that you find continuing to define you or your behavior. We'll start with that when you come in and see how we progress. It is not unusual to be anxious. We will also see how that feels as we decide how to progress."You had talked previously of your father's obsessive, irrational behavior toward you and your brother, your father coming into your room at night watching you. If these are some of the worst memories you have, and since they are from childhood (EMDR therapists like to go as far back as possible because we want to get at the initial knot in the thread) these may be good ones to start with. But if there are others that you feel defined who you are and how you respond to the world, use those. (I just wanted you to have some idea of the kinds of memories she's talking about; although she probably went over that already.)
> She also said that sometimes the brain keeps on processing after the session and I may have increased dreams etc. Is this something you have noticed?
Yes. You know how if you have something specific that is worrying you (like an upcoming speech or job interview or something), you will dream about it and your mind will dwell on it on and off for several days, even after the event is over? That's the same kind of processing the brain does in EMDR. It's just that now the real processing has been turned on and speeded up, so that you don't just dwell on it without ever reaching a conclusion; with EMDR you finally do get to the end and can move on to other things that matter to your life in the here and now.
I'm excited for you. I think you will like the feelings you get after the session. You can let us know how it went that same day, but you won't "believe" it's really done until probably Monday or so. Never mind, you will see what I mean. Take care.
poster:Toby
thread:4833
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/19990601/msgs/4868.html