What Are The Differences Between EMDR And CBT?
Choosing a therapist can be overwhelming. There is an enormous range of psychotherapeutic approaches to choose from. For many, the best option is a treatment geared toward their diagnosed mental illness or issue they’d like to work on in therapy.
Two main courses of action for trauma victims are Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT). But their applications are more wide-ranging, and various conditions have been successfully treated with CBT and EMDR.
What is CBT?
CBT is an approach to talk therapy that helps you address your preconceived notions about how the world works. A therapist will work with you to challenge your negative thoughts and emotions. CBT is based on the idea that mental problems are tied to unhelpful ways of thinking and unhealthy patterns of behavior. The approach is designed to teach you new healthy coping methods to adapt to negative events and emotions in your life. These coping methods can include:
Relaxation techniques
Mindfulness
Emotional regulation
Self-control
Distraction
By breaking down stressful situations into more manageable thoughts and reactions, you can better see how your negative thinking makes distress worse. CBT focuses on how you approach each day rather than solely focusing on how the past has influenced you. You’ll learn how to challenge your black-and-white thinking, which emotions lie underneath your anger, and how to react to others with purpose and clarity.
CBT has no set session limit; some find it useful and adaptive therapy. Your therapist may also give you “homework” to practice outside your sessions. This could mean activities like journaling, doing an activity that gets you out of your comfort zone, and other ways of practicing the skills you learn.
What is EMDR?
EMDR uses bilateral eye stimulation to help you process trauma. Research shows that shifting your gaze from one side to the next helps the brain process memories and complete the trauma cycle. With your therapist, you’ll determine a target memory to process over the course of a few sessions. Though EMDR doesn’t require talking about that specific triggering memory in detail, you’ll walk through your emotions associated with the event. As you talk, your eyes will follow an object in the therapist’s hands—a light, pen, pointer, etc. The goal is to reprocess the memory, implant positive emotions where there were negative ones, and reframe the traumatic event into one you can grow from.
EMDR is a much more structured form of therapy. Your therapist will take you through eight phases of treatment that can take 12 sessions or more. You’ll slowly work up to describing the traumatic event, with plenty of emotional safeguards in place before you get there.
Which is Right for You?
Only you can decide how you’d like to approach your therapy sessions. If you have PTSD or unresolved trauma impacting your life, EMDR is a great option. If you’ve been diagnosed with bipolar disorder or another mental illness, CBT is an excellent way to change your thinking. But don’t think that just because you don’t have PTSD means you won’t benefit from EMDR. Or that you must have a mental illness to get CBT. If you’ve been in therapy for years and haven’t had a “breakthrough,” perhaps EMDR is just the thing you need. CBT could be the right choice if you’re just starting with talk therapy and haven’t thought about a more targeted approach. Talk with a mental health professional to determine the best treatment plan for you.
To learn more about whether EMDR or CBT are the right therapies for you, please reach out to us.
