Navigating Over Accessing in EMDR Therapy: Techniques for Maintaining Client Stability
In EMDR therapy, managing clients who over-access or flood during reprocessing can be challenging. It’s crucial for therapists to maintain clients within their window of tolerance to ensure their cognitive functions remain engaged for effective processing. Some of the following information is from Dr. Joany Spierings, a noted EMDR Trainer/Consultant from the Netherlands, who has developed specialized techniques for working with severely traumatized clients (from 16th Annual EMDRIA conference presentation).
Understanding Over Accessing
Over accessing occurs when clients become too immersed in past traumas, re-experiencing intense emotions and bodily sensations that were originally associated with the traumatic event. Dr. Francine Shapiro emphasized the importance of recognizing that such processing is a normal response to abnormal events, provided it occurs within a safe therapeutic context.
Effective processing signifies the movement and eventual clearing of traumatic material, which is a natural progression of healing.
Techniques to Manage Over Accessing
- Interweaves and Grounding Techniques:
Interweaves are crucial in helping clients connect with necessary information they might not access on their own. For clients who over access, the aim is to reduce arousal using various tools. Spierings suggests that cognitive and non-cognitive interweaves can facilitate this process by keeping clients anchored in the present while they process past traumas.
- Visual and Physical Distancing Strategies:
Distancing techniques can help clients manage overwhelming emotions by altering their perception of the memory. Simple changes like transforming a moving scene into a still photo, adjusting the color to black and white, or envisioning a physical barrier like a glass wall between themselves and the event can make the memory less distressing. More tangible methods include using old remote controls to give clients a sense of control over their ‘replay’ of traumatic events.
- Physical Engagement Techniques:
Engaging clients physically during processing can help maintain their presence in the ‘here and now.’ This might include using objects for them to hold or interact with, or simple physical activities like measuring tape to visually demonstrate the growth from childhood to adulthood, which reinforces their current adult status and capabilities.
- Supportive Emotional Expression:
When clients are stuck in an emotional loop, such as prolonged crying with no alleviation of distress, it may indicate that deeper emotions like anger are being masked by more socially acceptable expressions like sadness. Exploring underlying feelings can shift the focus and facilitate deeper healing.
- Integration of Present-Day Perspectives:
Reminding clients of their adult capabilities and roles during sessions can help them differentiate their past experiences from their current reality. Asking clients to state their current age or roles (e.g., parent, spouse) can reinforce their adult identity and capabilities, providing a counterbalance to the vulnerability of their traumatic memories.
Conclusion
Handling over accessing in EMDR therapy requires a delicate balance of guiding clients through their traumatic memories while ensuring they do not become overwhelmed. Techniques developed by experts like Dr. Joany Spierings provide valuable tools for therapists to help clients navigate these challenging waters safely.
By integrating these strategies, therapists can foster a healing environment that respects the client’s pace and emotional capacity, ultimately leading to more effective and enduring recovery.
Bonnie Mikelson, LISW
