Adjunct EMDR Therapy

EMDR

EMDR or Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing, is a powerful supplement for traditional psychotherapy. We partner with therapists to help their clients resolve traumatic material interfering with their progress.  When painful feelings about an event or negative life experience continue to intrude or interfere with the progress in therapy, EMDR is helpful in resolving these issues. Because not all therapists are trained to use this therapy approach, we offer our experience and expertise to supplement the ongoing therapy clients are currently receiving with their primary therapist. Adjunctive therapy does not replace or interrupt ongoing therapy. It is complementary to the primary therapy relationship. With adjunctive EMDR therapy clients remain under the care and continue to receive treatment with their original therapist.

By targeting specific symptoms, memories or distressing events, brief adjunctive EMDR can accelerate progress in traditional therapy, help the client and the primary therapist to resolve stuck points, and enrich their ongoing work.
What is Adjunctive EMDR Therapy?

The brief adjunctive process of EMDR is the joining of the primary therapist and the EMDR therapist to help clients when their current therapy has gotten “stuck” or have plateaued in therapy with a client unable to progress toward desired goals. Usually this type of adjunctive therapy is short-term, either with weekly, extended or intensive therapy sessions (multiple sessions in one day). The success of the treatment is based on well-focused and clearly defined goals for the EMDR therapist as defined by the primary therapist and client.

Adjunctive EMDR therapy may also be needed as a longer-term approach where EMDR is integrated in the ongoing therapy of the client, especially for clients with complex trauma or dissociation.

Adjunctive EMDR therapy does not replace the therapy with the primary therapist but instead clients see both therapists. The clients’, primary therapist and EMDR therapist discuss a schedule that best meets the clients’ needs. A schedule can include the client seeing both therapists in a week or alternating therapy each week with both therapists or seeing the EMDR therapist weekly and the primary therapist every other week. Extended sessions and participation in the Creekside Intensive Program are also options. A consultation call with the client prior will help all parties determine the best approach.

It is common for clients to want to process and discuss what came up for them in the EMDR session with their primary therapist. This is part of the healing process as clients will integrate new learning, discuss new insights, or changed behaviors or responses to life and relationships. They may also make connections with new skills that they want to learn or apply to life experiences.

How to get started with Adjunctive EMDR Therapy

To get started, clients are generally referred for adjunctive EMDR therapy by their primary therapist. With a release of information in place, the primary therapist reaches out to the EMDR therapist to discuss the referral, to determine if the client is a “good fit” for EMDR and to discuss the roles of the therapists. A consultation call is then set up with the client to further individualize care.

Good candidates for brief Adjunctive EMDR Therapy are generally individuals who have a good working relationship with their therapist, already have some coping skills and supports in place, and the referring therapist and client have indicated interest and willingness to actively collaborate with the EMDR therapist.  Besides being open to EMDR therapy an appropriate referral would be a client with a clear identifiable target or stuck point they wish to have addressed or a specific recent event that occurred that is interfering with therapy progress. In addition, a good candidate for adjunctive EMDR therapy would have no active substance abuse, self-injury, or safety risks, including unstable living situations.

Besides determining if the client is a good fit for EMDR it is also important for the therapists to understand their roles. The primary therapist will remain a therapist on record and maintain their treatment plan. The primary therapist manages crisis calls or client emergencies. The EMDR therapists maintains responsibility for the impact and effectiveness of the EMDR work both in and out of session.  In addition, active collaboration is a key component of success for the client in this partnership. Feedback about EMDR sessions is regularly provided to the primary therapist by the adjunctive EMDR therapist. A release of information must be in place for coordination of care during adjunct therapy.

**We maintain professional ethics and will only continue to work with the client if they are engaged in therapy with the primary therapist. Adjunct therapy is not a transfer of care.**

Adjunctive EMDR Therapy Referral Process

The process of adjunctive EMDR therapy process is as follows:

• Primary therapist obtains a Release of Information from client and contacts EMDR therapist to discuss referral.
• Primary therapist and EMDR therapist discuss issues related to referral and develop potential targets for EMDR processing.
• Client schedules a consultation call with EMDR therapist.
• An intake appointment is scheduled and the client and EMDR therapist discuss issues for treatment, develop clear targets for treatment, thorough explanation of EMDR treatment and process, client signs open release of information between therapists and discuss EMDR therapist role in the treatment, as well as importance and necessity of continued work with the primary therapy
• The primary therapist and EMDR therapist agree upon a method for active and reciprocal communication to coordinate the therapy.

Referring therapists or clients interested in adjunctive EMDR therapy please email at [email protected] to get started.