The 5 Biggest EMDR Myths — Austin Therapy & EMDR

Have you considered starting EMDR but worry about making things worse or not remembering anything? I see and hear a lot of misconceptions about EMDR on a regular basis, so I’ve compiled the most common to set the record straight.

This post will help you make an educated decision about whether EMDR could be a good fit for you. Let’s get started!

Can You Process Trauma You Don’t Remember?

Yes, you can.

Like most people with traumatic memories, you may not have a solid recollection of what happened. Research has shown that when something traumatic happens, the threat system in your brain can “turn off” any non-essential functions to preserve energy and adapt for survival.

This means the language processing parts of your brain get turned off when you’re overwhelmed. It helps explain why you can have an intense feeling you can’t put into words or make sense of.

Because of this, EMDR doesn’t require you to speak at length about what happened to you. You won’t have to relive your experience over and over again in order to heal and move on from it.

You’ll briefly discuss your history during Phase 1 of EMDR (History Taking), but this is merely for your therapist to get a better understanding and context for your current symptoms.

Once you and your therapist have picked a specific memory to work on, you’ll move your eyes back and forth (bilateral stimulation) to desensitize you to the experience. Between each set of eye movements, your therapist will ask for your observations or what you noticed.

Unlike regular therapy, you won’t need to discuss or understand what you noticed. You’ll only need to provide a brief description about what came up before beginning another set.

Is EMDR Therapy Like Hypnosis?

No, EMDR therapy is very different from hypnosis.

During hypnosis, a licensed clinician will deliberately induce you into an altered state of mental relaxation.

During EMDR therapy, you remain fully awake and in control at all times. During Phase 2 (Preparation & Resourcing), you’ll learn relaxation and containment strategies to manage any disturbances that may come up and help reorient you back to the present.

The goal is for you to remain grounded and present so you can describe what you’re noticing without becoming consumed or overwhelmed.

You may notice a related memory, a body sensation, something that seems totally unrelated, or not much at all. You don’t need to understand or interpret it, all you need to do is observe and notice.

EMDR uses your brain’s natural healing process to reprocess an upsetting experience, while also feeling a felt sense of safety in the present. It can restore a sense of “that was then, this is now” so old memories no longer intrude on the present.

Can EMDR therapy make things worse?

When your therapist is following the EMDR protocol, overall your symptoms shouldn’t get worse.

You may experience negative symptoms between sessions (most of my clients report dreaming more and occasionally these are nightmares), but the relaxation exercises you learn in Phase 2 will help manage them.

You may temporarily feel worse during a processing session, but this is because your body holds on to the feelings and body sensations you experienced during something upsetting or traumatic. It’s what’s called a “body memory”, not an indication of something wrong in the present.

If you’re concerned about worsening symptoms, talk with your therapist about your concerns. They may recommend spending a little more time prepping and resourcing before starting processing.

Can EMDR Create false memories?

No, EMDR will not elicit false memories because the goal isn’t to verify what happened to you or accurately recollect a memory.

Memories are already inaccurate and can change over time because even thinking about a memory can change your memory.

The goal of EMDR is to reprocess old information using the knowledge and connections you have today to help you find any adaptive learning and give you a felt sense of safety in the present.

When something traumatic happens, fragments of your memory can get stuck in your nervous system (for instance, a “body memory” of the event). So the content and accuracy of your memory doesn’t really matter. The point is merely to observe what shows up so your brain can reprocess it using your current, present-day perspective.

You may remember things you’d forgotten or other associated memories, and this is totally normal. It’s your brain’s way of moving down a memory track to make sense of your experience.

Everything that shows up during EMDR processing is valid and connected, just not necessarily accurate.

Is EMDR the same as talk therapy?

Yes and no. Phase 1 and 2 of EMDR are very similar to regular talk therapy.

You and your therapist will discuss your current symptoms and tie them back to specific memories. You’ll learn relaxation and containment strategies to manage your symptoms before beginning the eye movements.

Once EMDR reprocessing begins, it’s very different to standard therapy. You’ll start with one memory (called a target), move your eyes back and forth to start processing information (called bilateral stimulation set), and observe what shows up naturally.

When your therapist tells you stop, you’ll briefly describe what you noticed during the set. You’ll then resume the eye movements again to continue reprocessing your memory.

Your therapist will only intervene when necessary, so there won’t be a lot of back-and-forth dialogue during processing sessions like there is with traditional talk therapy. Some clients enjoy this because it takes the pressure off needing to think of something to say.

Your job will be to observe what shows up organically, without judgment, and relay this to your therapist. You won’t need to make sense of it or understand it to reprocess your memory. It’s an entirely different way to process old events that doesn’t require you to talk at length about what happened.

I hope that cleared up some misconceptions about EMDR!

If you still have other lingering questions or want to know more about the process, check out my comprehensive EMDR post: What is EMDR and How Does It Work? All Your EMDR Questions Answered