EMDR therapy, also known as eye movement therapy, is a psychotherapeutic method used especially to process difficult, disturbing memories or memories that are activated in the present. At Mielenjuuri, EMDR treatment is used to neutralise emotions connected with negative experiences and to correct the negative beliefs associated with them. Memories may be linked to many different kinds of experiences and may cause symptoms such as anxiety, depression, sleep problems, post-traumatic stress and burnout.
Mielenjuuri's EMDR therapy is provided online. Suitability for treatment is always assessed individually.
EMDR stands for Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing. In Finnish, the method is often called eye movement therapy, although EMDR treatment can use not only eye movements but also other forms of bilateral stimulation, such as alternating sounds or tactile stimulation.
The starting point of EMDR therapy is that a difficult experience can sometimes remain stored in the mind and body in a way that does not settle with time. A person may know rationally that the event is over, while the body continues to react as if danger, shame, helplessness or failure were still present.
The aim of EMDR treatment is not to remove the memory, but to reduce how disturbing it feels and to help the person be more present in the here and now.
You can read more about the background of the method in the articles How does EMDR therapy work? and The history of EMDR therapy.
EMDR therapy is best known as a treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD. However, it can also be used in many other situations where a past experience continues to burden present life, relationships, functioning or the body.
EMDR treatment may be considered, for example, when the background involves a relationship crisis, a challenge at work, a difficult attachment relationship, an accident, an experience of violence, bullying, a difficult loss, serious illness, stress related to legal proceedings, or intense performance pressure connected with sport or performing.
The issue is not always one clearly defined event. Sometimes prolonged strain may result in anxiety, depression, burnout, panic, avoidance, shame or a sense that one's reactions are too strong in relation to the present situation. In EMDR therapy, it is possible to explore whether a current reaction is connected with earlier experiences and to work through those experiences.
Before treatment begins, the first appointment always includes an assessment of the client's overall situation, resources, current stress load and whether memory processing is safe and appropriate in an online setting at that point.
The topic is discussed in more detail in the article What is EMDR therapy used for?
EMDR treatment begins with an assessment of the situation. The therapist and client discuss what brings the client to therapy, what kinds of situations activate the symptoms and what experiences may lie in the background. Before the actual processing of memories begins, the client is told how EMDR works and how the process can be regulated.
The client does not need to describe a difficult event in detail from beginning to end, and the therapy is not intended to force anyone to move too quickly into difficult memories.
The phases of treatment are described in more detail in the article How does EMDR treatment proceed?
Many people considering EMDR therapy want to know both what research says about the method and what the treatment may feel like in practice. Both perspectives are important. Research evidence describes the effectiveness of the method at a general level, while clients' accounts help show how the processing of difficult memories may be reflected in everyday life, relationships, the body and functioning.
Mielenjuuri's blog includes an extensive Share Your Story section, where individual clients' EMDR therapy or EMDR coaching is discussed anonymously. The stories show clearly how people may come to EMDR work from very different starting points: anxiety and depression, traumatic experiences, violence, work-related strain, codependency, fears, or blocks connected with demanding performance.
The client stories describe, for example, treatment for anxiety disorder and depression caused by bullying, the processing of psychological trauma caused by intimate partner violence, work on harmful codependency, work-related compassion fatigue and treatment for fear of flying.
Individual experiences do not replace research evidence, nor do they mean that treatment proceeds in the same way for everyone. They can, however, make visible how memory, bodily reactions, emotions and thoughts may begin to become organised in a new way during EMDR work. Many people describe successful work by saying that the memory does not disappear, but its disturbing quality decreases and their relationship to what happened changes.
In terms of research evidence, EMDR therapy has the strongest support in the treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder.
You can read more about the research evidence in the article Is EMDR therapy effective?
At Mielenjuuri, EMDR therapy is provided by Helinä Häkkänen, who has extensive experience working with trauma, difficult life situations, forensic psychological questions, workplace crises and situations connected with demanding performance.
At Mielenjuuri, EMDR expertise is combined with a broader psychological and psychotherapeutic assessment. This is important because the same method can look different in practice depending on whether the focus is an isolated accident, a long history of strain, burnout, stress related to legal proceedings, or a performance block in an athlete.
Mielenjuuri's EMDR therapy is provided online. Our clients' experience is that they are able to concentrate better on EMDR treatment when it is provided remotely. Helinä also offers appointments remotely through Terveystalo.
You can read more about Mielenjuuri's special expertise in the article Specialized applications of EMDR therapy: from sport psychology to forensic psychology.
If you are wondering whether EMDR therapy could be suitable for your situation, the first step is to get in touch. During the online appointment, we assess whether EMDR is an appropriate form of treatment right now or whether other support, stabilisation or a broader assessment of the situation is needed first.
For appointment booking or further questions, you can contact Mielenjuuri using the form on the contact page, by phone or by email.
The fee for EMDR therapy is based on Mielenjuuri's current price list. Up-to-date information is available on the fees page.
Mielenjuuri’s contact form, phone number and email address can be found on the contact page.