Is EMDR a Type of Hypnotherapy and Is It Just As Effective?
One of the therapies that are extensively offered to trauma and emotional victims is eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR). Both methods are usually attractive to people who are struggling with mental health problems, but the exact way in which they are related is not always made quite clear. The word “hypnotherapy” sprang to mind right away. Do they both have the same traits in common? Both therapies will be covered in more detail in this blog post, with a focus on their uses, benefits, and efficiency.
What is EMDR?
EMDR was created by Francine Shapiro in a therapeutic sense in the late 1980s. People who have traumatic experiences or had persistent stressed disorders such as PTSD can use it to be better. People are made to remember upsetting events while also getting stimulation on both sides. This is generally done by showing them how to move their eyes. Focusing on both parts of a thought helps the brain work through painful memories again, which changes how they are kept and makes them less emotional.
EMDR has been demonstrated as an effective approach for illustration of heartfelt trauma (PTSD) in patients. A huge number of patients report a decrease in their tension after only a few sessions. It’s an approved American Psychological Association (APA) method for stress reduction in problem solving.
What is Hypnotherapy?
Conversely, the use of trance in the hypnotherapy process made the patient more open to the suggestions and resulted in better focus. To achieve this state, practitioners use guided meditation and relaxation techniques. To relieve all these issues like anxiety, phobias, pain management, and even bad habits like smoking, hypnotherapy can be the most effective solution.
Hypnotherapy can help clients access memories and the unconscious mind. This may lead to the insight needed for healing and personal growth. Hypnotherapy has many uses. But, EMDR is the best-known treatment for trauma.
Are EMDR and Hypnotherapy the Same?
EMDR and hypnotherapy have a lot in common. They’re both focused on mental health. However, they are very different treatments.
Key Differences:
Methodology
- The use of structured protocols using bilateral stimulation during the processing of traumatic memories is an EMDR characteristic. Instead, these are memories on which we want to focus in reprocessing them in order to renormalize their significance.
- In hypnotherapy, the suggestion is made in the state of a trance using a variety of techniques for treating a larger number of psychological problems, such as behavior modification and emotional regulation.
Focus on Memory
- EMDR focuses particularly on the trauma memory, helping clients make new meaning of these memories.
- While hypnotherapy may often expose memories and emotions, it isn’t limited to trauma. It often relies on suggestion more than on the focused processing of memory.
Therapeutic Goals
- The main purpose of EMDR is to reduce the symptoms of trauma and PTSD, therefore EMDR is a targeted practice if you have experienced past emotional pain to a state where other methods might not be effective.
- It can be used successfully for many different things as it can be used to help with everything from reducing stress and anxiety to changing habits and making it more versatile for whatever psychological problem one is going through.
Is EMDR just as effective as hypnotherapy?
EMDR is considered to be more effective than hypnotherapy depending on many factors including the issues in question and the individual themselves.
Effectiveness of EMDR
We know EMDR is a well established, well evidenced therapy for treating PTSD. There are many studies showing that many people get a great deal of symptom relief after a relatively short number of sessions. EMDR is very structured, and focuses on trauma memories, so often transformational change occurs. EMDR is often a gold standard of treatment for those who deal specifically in trauma.
Effectiveness of Hypnotherapy
But you can also use hypnotherapy, and it’s also often more subjective. Research proving its use for anxiety, phobias and habit control is available, however in clinical studies the results can vary widely from patient to patient. The effectiveness is 90 per cent or more dependent on the client’s response to hypnosis and the therapist’s skill. Hypnotherapy is quite useful for relaxation and stress reduction, but is less studied with regard to trauma than EMDR.
Personal Preference Matters
In the end, it may come down to a preference for EMDR or hypnotherapy and the detail of the problem to be solved. Some people prefer the structured approach of EMDR while others like hypnotherapy through suggestions. The thing is that consulting with a qualified therapist will help you to clarify which of these methods may work the best for you.
When to Choose EMDR or Hypnotherapy:
MDR is often the go to treatment if you have trauma or PTSD because it’s backed by such solid research and is so effective. However, if your top priorities are related to anxiety management, stress relief or behavior change, hypnotherapy is just the thing.
Furthermore, some therapists mix the two methods together and practice the ways that work for their clients. It can lend itself to flexibility too, so that clients can get the benefit from both modalities.
Conclusion
Despite commonality they have some common ground with each other, EMDR and hypnotherapy are within different therapeutic approaches but with other methods and goals. EMDR is traditionally utilized as a means to process traumatic memories, and is therefore a very effective means to alleviate the symptoms of PTSD. Visiting the hypnotherapist for anxiety, stress or habit change has a broader range of application and can be beneficial.
In the end, you can pick EMDR or hypnotherapy depending on what you need, you prefer and what the therapist you seek is experienced in it. A healing and personal growth pathway is available in both modalities. Asking for help takes courage. It starts with many changes. Finding the right therapy can be profound.
Don’t rush into therapy if you’re thinking of it. Whether you decide to do EMDR or hypnotherapy and a combination of them you’re on your way to healing and that’s a journey you need to take.