Many partners of sex or porn addicts identify symptoms of trauma or PTSD present in their lives since they discovered their loved one’s sexual acting out. EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) is a highly researched form of therapy that has proven effective for the treatment of trauma symptoms, including those experienced by betrayed partners. EMDR is different than traditional “talk therapy”. Using something called “bilateral stimulation” (BLS), EMDR helps your brain work through the painful physical sensations, thoughts, feelings, and beliefs that often accompany traumatic experiences.
In an EMDR session, your therapist will use small buzzers or “tappers” (one in each hand), ear phones, or their fingers to get your brain engaged in a left/right patterns (alternating buzzes in your hand, tones in your ears, or following your therapist’s fingers with your eyes from left to right and back). As you are engaged in BLS, your brain is processing your painful memories. While all of this may seem very strange, it is extremely effective and can move you through these memories much more quickly than talk therapy. This means you will start feeling better, having less intense reactions, and less preoccupation so that you can focus on your recovery.
A more traditional way to participate in EMDR therapy is having a session once a week over a period of weeks or months. This can be very effective, however, such a prolonged experience runs the risk of getting distracted by other life events, crises, illnesses, etc., which can interrupt the EMDR process.
EMDR Intensives are an approach that allows for targeted attention to your pain points over the course of a couple of days. In a period of 2-3 days, you will engage in 4-5 EMDR sessions. This allows you to plan for a more intense therapeutic experience and minimizes the risk of interruptions in the process. Intensives can be held as often as needed.
We believe EMDR is an important part of a larger treatment plan for betrayed partners. After an intensive, participants return to their primary therapist to process their experience. If and when they need to return for another set of EMDR sessions, this can be scheduled.
Those participating in EMDR Intensives must be committed to ongoing individual therapy before and after their intensive experience.
If you are interested in learning more about EMDR Intensives, please contact us today.
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