EMDR VS. Hypnotherapy In Maryland
Effective tools for treatment can help create ripples of change and growth.
EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) and hypnosis are two different non-drug approaches that can be used to treat various mental health conditions. While both techniques aim to facilitate healing, they differ in their methods and approaches.
What’s Up with EMDR?
EMDR is a structured therapy often employed to help treat trauma/PTSD, as well as some other mental health issues. It encourages the patient to focus briefly on the trauma memory (which has some anxiety/discomfort around it) while simultaneously experiencing bilateral stimulation (typically eye movements but can also use sounds or tapping). The goal is to reduce the intensity of negative emotions associated with the traumatic event and to replace them with more positive emotions. Practitioners that use EMDR have been specifically trained in this tool and typically have clinical expertise in working with trauma. To learn more about EMDR treatment, get all the details here.
What About Hypnosis/Hypnotherapy In Maryland?
In general, clinical hypnosis/hypnotherapy starts with the step of bringing forth a relaxed sense of awareness (hypnotic trance), which then can be utilized to help open someone up to suggestions that can help them move towards desired changes in their lives. That starting point of a state of relaxed awareness is one difference between EMDR and hypnotherapy, as EMDR works by bringing awareness to the anxiety/discomfort before working to change it. Hypnotherapy can help people make changes with habits, manage pain, reduce phobias, achieve goals and personal growth. Hypnotherapists have clinical training and expertise in their health discipline plus training in the tools of hypnosis. For more information about hypnosis and how it can be used therapeutically, check out these resources from ASCH, the American Society of Clinical Hypnosis. Remember that clinical hypnosis/hypnotherapy is not the same as stage or entertainment hypnosis. You can find out more about that and other myths around hypnosis in my blog post about Top Myths About Hypnotherapy.
Which One is Better?
Both EMDR and hypnotherapy are effective tools that can be very helpful in facilitating change. The question about which one to use may start with what is bringing you in for treatment. Even though hypnotherapy can be helpful for trauma processing and reconsolidation, EMDR might be your best fit, if you are specifically looking for support with trauma/PTSD. If you are seeking help for habits, phobias, pain and removing blockages to goals and growth, hypnotherapy might be your cup of tea. It’s also possible to use both tools, if that appeals to you. There are some practitioners that are trained in both techniques. You’re not going to cancel out the benefits of one by using the other so we don’t really need to pit the two approaches against each other. Both can be facilitated effectively in-person and online, opening up more possibilities for accessing these forms of treatment to get the support that will work well for you.
Hypnotherapy in maryland, Online & In-Person Located in COllege park
I hope that this gives you some idea of how both EMDR & hypnotherapy can be effective tools in treatment. If you are interested in exploring more about hypnotherapy in College Park, Maryland (and throughout the state, as hypnotherapy can be safely, securely and very effectively facilitated virtually online), reach out to contact me for a free 15-minute phone consultation or learn more on my hypnotherapy page. There are wonderful EMDR practitioners in the state as well so be sure to check out the EMDR resources for ways to find them.
