Find the Best EMDR Therapy in Chicago: 5 Key Questions to Ask a New Therapist
How to Find the Best EMDR Therapy Chicago or Virtual EMDR Therapy Online: 5 Key Questions to Ask an EMDR Therapist
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing therapy (EMDR therapy) has gained widespread attention as an effective therapy for treating trauma as well as symptoms of anxiety, depression, stress, burnout, and many other symptoms and diagnoses.
Deciding to target problems with EMDR therapy can be a powerful step toward healing. The next step is figuring out how to find the best EMDR therapist for you. It can be difficult to know what to ask or even what to consider when determining if an EMDR therapist has the knowledge, experience, and expertise to support your individual needs.
In this article, I'll guide you through the process of finding the best EMDR therapy Chicago, online, or near you by asking five key questions. I’ll discuss the importance of a therapist's credentials, experience, and expertise in EMDR therapy. I'll also explain how to inquire about a therapist's approach to personalized treatment with EMDR therapy. Additionally, we'll explore the significance of building a strong therapeutic relationship with your therapist, and the importance of checking in with yourself to see how you feel when talking with a new therapist. By asking these questions, you'll gain valuable insights to help you make an informed decision and find the best EMDR therapist for your therapy needs. For a more in-depth look at questions to ask any new therapist, see 10 Questions to Ask a Therapist before starting therapy.
Qualifications and Training: Are you a licensed therapist with EMDR certification?
When searching for any therapist, you want to ask questions about the counselor's credentials and training. When looking for an EMDR therapist, you also want to ask questions specific to their EMDR training and credentials. It's important to ask if the therapist is licensed and if they are certified in EMDR therapy.
Licensed therapists have completed all of their masters-level or doctoral-level training as well as additional supervised clinical training prior to becoming licensed. They have passed their licensing exam and engage in required continuing education. Licensed therapists are able to practice independently, without additional supervision, and insurance plans will provide plan-specific reimbursement for their work.
Therapists who are not independently licensed have not yet completed all of the requirements for independent practice and may be at an earlier stage of their training or practice. An unlicensed therapist needs to practice under the supervision of a licensed therapist. If an EMDR therapist is not licensed, you might want to ask about their supervisor’s training and experience with EMDR. Working with an unlicensed therapist, or non-therapist may also limit or eliminate reimbursement by insurance.
When looking specifically for an EMDR therapist, it is important to also understand the extent of the therapist’s EMDR training and experience. Therapists who are in the process of their EMDR training may be practicing EMDR while also receiving consultation from a certified EMDR consultant. Clinicians who have completed basic EMDR training can practice EMDR independently, but they do not need to engage in any additional EMDR training or have any specific degree of experience beyond their basic training requirements in order to do EMDR therapy.
Certified EMDR therapists have completed basic training and advanced training in EMDR. They are required to have used EMDR therapy in their work with a significant number of people and to have received recommendations from certified EMDR consultants with whom they have worked prior to becoming certified. They are also required to engage in EMDR-specific continuing education to build and expand their EMDR expertise for as long as they maintain EMDR certification. EMDR certified therapists often specialize in EMDR therapy as a significant part of their therapy practice. To learn more about EMDR training institutions and the differences between EMDR-trained and EMDR-certified therapists see the Complete Guide to Find an EMDR Therapist.
2. Experience: How much experience do you have doing EMDR therapy for problems like mine?
The degree of EMDR therapy experience can vary widely among EMDR-trained therapists and certified EMDR therapists. When deciding on the best EMDR therapist for you, you may want to learn how many years they may have been practicing EMDR therapy; how many people they have supported with EMDR, and the number of EMDR therapy clients they work with on a regular basis. It can also be helpful to ask about their experience using EMDR to address the specific type of issues that you hope to target with EMDR.
In situations of significant or complex trauma, it is that much more important to understand the extent of a therapist's training and their degree of expertise. People who are seeking to address severe or complex traumas such as combat experiences, mass traumas or acts of terrorism, significant childhood traumas, or physical or sexual abuse may especially benefit from working with a more experienced EMDR therapist. Individuals addressing specific types of trauma such as first responders, veterans, LGBTQ or neurodivergent folx, people processing birth trauma, or trauma from systemic oppression of minority groups may find working with a therapist familiar with these distinct life experiences or types of trauma to be more effective.
3. Approach and Process: Can you explain the process of EMDR therapy, including how you personalize EMDR for individual needs?
Asking questions about the EMDR process gives you a chance to learn about how a particular therapist uses EMDR in their therapy work, as well as how they pace EMDR therapy, and whether they integrate other therapy approaches into their EMDR work.
There are 8 phases of EMDR therapy used for treatment. It may be helpful to talk to the therapist about how they use initial phases like history taking and resource development to determine if active EMDR processing in later phases seems appropriate for your individual situation. It is also useful to know how they approach these initial phases to prepare for safe and effective EMDR therapy through all 8 phases of EMDR.
The therapist may be able to talk about other treatment modalities they may use along with EMDR such as IFS-informed parts work, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), or Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) to help build resourcing skills, reduce any resistance that may come up during EMDR processing, or to support more effective trauma processing as needed throughout EMDR. The therapist may be able to discuss what they do to prevent EMDR therapy from being overwhelming, how they address slow progress in EMDR, or how they deal with common challenges that might come up during EMDR therapy.
Having answers to these questions may give you more information about what to expect and also about the therapist's ability to be flexible. If you are curious to learn more about EMDR therapy and how EMDR works, you can read more about EMDR therapy basics and some of the top myths about EMDR therapy.
4. Duration and Frequency: How often do you recommend EMDR sessions, and what's the usual duration of EMDR treatment for similar concerns?
During a consultation call with a therapist, you can talk a bit about your situation and what you are looking to address with EMDR therapy. They won’t be able to predict the course of treatment or how many therapy sessions may be needed to address your specific issues or circumstances. However, they may be able to identify if EMDR therapy is likely to be effective across a shorter duration, or if it's likely to take significant time to support the level of processing needed. They should be able to ask questions and share thoughts about your treatment goals to begin to shape your expectations for pursuing EMDR therapy with them.
Many EMDR therapists recommend a frequency of at least one session per week in order to adequately monitor a person’s responses to EMDR processing and support progress with EMDR therapy. In some situations, a therapist may recommend EMDR sessions more than once per week. Additionally, some clinicians may offer intensive EMDR therapy that could involve EMDR sessions several times per week across a shorter overall course of therapy. Intensive EMDR therapy sessions could also be of longer duration, allowing for deeper work within sessions. These longer intensive sessions may be able to be spaced out less frequently than one session per week while still supporting progress at various stages of EMDR therapy.
5. Client-Therapist Relationship: How do you establish a strong therapeutic connection, and what steps do you take to maintain communication during the EMDR process?
Lastly, it may be a value to ask about how the therapist approaches building a strong therapeutic relationship in order to create a safe and supportive environment for doing EMDR therapy. Research consistently shows that the therapeutic relationship is the number one factor influencing therapeutic progress regardless of the treatment modality used in therapy (1). The importance of comfort, connection, and safety in the therapeutic relationship should not be underestimated.
EMDR therapy is often used to target long-standing or complex problems that may be sensitive in nature, so it is especially important that you feel reasonably good about being able to develop a healthy and safe relationship with an EMDR therapist you are considering. The therapist may be able to discuss some of the ways that they pace therapy or encourage communication to build trust and safety in the relationship; how they monitor or respond to indicators that you may need more support during therapy; or what they do in situations where the therapeutic relationship does not seem to meet your needs for therapeutic support.
In addition to listening to how a therapist responds to these questions, it may also be helpful to ask yourself how you feel about the therapist. Do you have a positive reaction to their explanations or their treatment approach? Are there aspects to their personality, their presentation, their voice, or how they talk about therapy that you don't have a good gut feeling about? It can be helpful to pay attention to your reaction to the therapist even in the initial consultation call. Ultimately, this therapy work is about your progress. If you don’t feel comfortable with a therapist during the consultation call, they may not be the therapist you want to partner with to do your EMDR therapy.
Move Forward with EMDR Therapy Chicago or Virtual EMDR Therapy Online Near You
Taking the leap to start with a new therapist or new therapy approach can sometimes feel intimidating or even overwhelming. Knowing some key questions to ask when trying to find an EMDR therapist can help you feel more confident. Learning the answers to these important questions may increase your comfort moving forward with EMDR therapy, and can help you find the best EMDR therapist in Chicago, online, on near you.
At Shore Therapy, there is a commitment to providing high-quality, transformative, therapy so that you can stop treading water and start making meaningful progress toward healing. If you think that I might be the right EMDR therapist for you, contact me for a free consultation call. I'll be happy to answer these and other questions that you may have related to EMDR therapy or virtual EMDR therapy online. I am a certified EMDR therapist. I specialize in therapy for trauma and PTSD; affirmative therapy with marginalized populations including LGBTQ and neurodivergent humans; and parent therapy for parents of kids with special needs and high support needs who may be struggling with parent or caregiver burnout. I proudly serve individuals in Chicago North Shore, and throughout Illinois, as well as online therapy in over 35 states across the US. Read more about me and my training and experience, and reach out today.
Flückiger, C., Del Re, A. C., Wampold, B. E., & Horvath, A. O. (2018). The alliance in adult psychotherapy: A meta-analytic synthesis. Psychotherapy, 55(4), 316–340. https://doi.org/10.1037/pst0000172
