Applicability of EMDR
EMDR is particularly effective when a specific traumatic event has occurred. Examples include a traffic accident, sexual abuse, loss, bullying or other forms of violence.
Often, trauma is not experienced as such at the time, but it does leave its mark. In the body and in the mind. Burnout, chronic illness or depression are just a few examples of these marks. Often, the symptoms are treated, but the cause remains. This usually results in adaptation but no real healing. And worse still, it returns later in another form.
For which complaints?
- Irritability
- Feelings of guilt or low self-esteem
- Negative thoughts
- Reliving during the day or while asleep
- Avoiding people or places
- Blunted emotions (emotional flattening)
Trauma
You don't have to have experienced a plane crash or war to be affected by trauma. Trauma happens to us. According to the UMC Utrecht, approximately 1 in 6 Dutch people have experienced a traumatic event in their lives (UMC, 2020). The severity of the event is usually not the problem.
Many people who come to us have been undergoing psychotherapy for weeks, months or even years. However, trauma is often not resolved by simply talking about it. Trauma does not reside on a cognitive (thinking) level. People often know that they should not feel guilty, or that they are safe or okay. Yet their body or emotions tell them something else. In short: trauma is located in the subconscious and manifests itself in the physical body. These are the gateways to the trauma and therefore also the path to recovery.
Who is your conversation partner?
Ben ter Horst
Tim Brinkman
Some examples from our practice
We regularly treat people with EMDR, often with great success. However, in some cases EMDR does not appear to be the right approach, and we opt for a different route to possible recovery, either within or outside our practice.
- Trauma following the death of her partner beside her in a car accident
- Serious bullying at school
- A single instance of inappropriate behaviour by a manager, which continued to hinder normal responses to feedback on a daily basis.
- The encounter – years ago – with a (rather large) spider that instils fear of everything small and moving
- No longer dared to drive a car. During the EMDR session, ‘control’ emerged as the theme and we went back to a traumatic break-up, in which he completely lost control of himself.
Would you like to know more about EMDR? Or would you like to discuss the possibilities? Please contact us.
An intake ensures safety
EMDR is a safe form of therapy and we proceed with caution. That is why we want to gain insight into your resilience and social network. After all, many feelings can be triggered and it is important that you have a safety net. For this reason, we always conduct an intake interview before we start EMDR.
We have a range of techniques available to address your needs. During the consultation, we will discuss together whether EMDR is the most appropriate treatment for you.
If this is the case, we will begin by identifying the issues and patterns and then plan the EMDR sessions.
There are at least two of these within a single course. It is difficult to estimate the exact number in advance (an indication can always be given after the initial assessment), but more importantly, you can stop or take a break at any point in the process without any problems. That way, anything you have “processed” will not resurface.
If this (EMDR option) is not the case, we will explore other treatment options together. In all cases, you will be one step closer to a solution. In addition to the traditional method using our fingers, we now also use a light, sound and vibrations.
How many sessions are required?
So this depends on the complexity of the case. For a single trauma, an initial assessment and two EMDR sessions are sometimes sufficient. The natural processing mechanism is then restarted and continues to work automatically. In the case of more complex or multiple traumas, several sessions are often required. In this case, the trauma consists of a single memory network built up from multiple events. Nevertheless, most people notice fundamental differences after the first session. The emotional burden, sadness and pain lessen. Avoidance and procrastination are overcome.
Our rates
Initial consultation
- The fee is €100 for an initial consultation lasting between 1 and 1.5 hours
- Intake by Ben ter Horst or Tim Brinkman
The full process, comprising the initial assessment, two EMDR sessions and a review
- This therefore includes the initial consultation, worth 100 euros
- The two scheduled EMDR sessions will last up to 1.5 hours
- The second session will be followed by a telephone debrief
- The fee for any individual or additional sessions is €175
- The treatment is provided by Ben ter Horst or Tim Brinkman.