If you're navigating trauma recovery and already working with a therapist that you trust, you might be wondering if it's possible to enhance your progress by adding in another layer of treatment. The answer is yes -- you can add adjunctive EMDR therapy as a complements to the great work that you're already doing. In this guide, we'll break down what adjunctive EMDR therapy is, how it works, and how to know if it's right for you. We’ll also walk you through the process of getting started with adjunctive EMDR therapy in New York City, Brooklyn, or online.
What is an adjunctive therapy?
"Adjunctive therapy" is a term used to describe any treatment that works alongside the main form of therapy an individual is already receiving. The goal of adjunctive therapy is to address the specific issues that might be holding you back from making deeper progress in the therapy you're already engaged in. Adjunctive therapies are designed to complement your primary approach by targeting areas that require additional focus such as trauma processing or emotional regulation.
Common Types of Adjunctive Therapy
EMDR: As an adjunctive therapy, EMDR helps target and process unresolved traumatic memories that may be interfering with your progress in your primary therapy. It works alongside your existing treatment to reduce emotional distress and support healing.
Group Therapy: Group therapy provides a supportive environment where you can share experiences, gain perspective, and learn from others facing similar challenges. As an adjunctive therapy, it complements your individual therapy by fostering connection and offering insights or skill development that enhance your overall growth.
Couples Therapy: Individual therapy focuses on personal change, but adjunctive couples therapy explores how relationship dynamics and communication patterns impact your healing journey. By working together as a couple, this approach strengthens your partnership, supporting both your individual and shared growth.
Art Therapy: As an adjunctive therapy, art therapy offers a creative outlet for exploring emotions or processing experiences that may be difficult to articulate verbally, adding a unique layer of support to your main therapeutic work.
What is adjunctive EMDR?
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) is a type of somatic therapy designed to help process traumatic memories. Adjunctive EMDR is when EMDR therapy is added to your treatment plan as a complement to the therapeutic work that you are already doing with your primary therapist. Adjunctive EMDR tends to be brief, targeting specific traumatic experiences, in order to resolve sticking points and enrich your work with your primary therapist.
What are use cases for adjunctive EMDR?
According to the Journal of EMDR Practice and Research, use cases for adjunctive EMDR include:
...when a single symptom is not resolving [such as nightmares or intrusive memories], despite insight, motivation, and good treatment.
...when good psychotherapy is stuck.
...when both client and therapist are puzzled about their work becoming stagnant, yet some aspect of the clinical goals have not been achieved.
How does adjunctive EMDR work?
Adjunctive EMDR works by utilizing bilateral stimulation to help process past traumatic events that are getting in the way of the work that you are doing with your primary therapist. Whether these traumatic events manifest as single symptoms, sticking points, or stagnation, adjunctive EMDR can be used to help remove obstacles that you are facing in therapy, allowing for more effective overall treatment and faster progress towards your therapeutic goals.
Who is a good candidate for adjunctive EMDR?
According to the Journal of EMDR Practice and Research:
Good candidates for brief adjunctive EMDR are generally well-functioning individuals who have a good working relationship with a therapist, and this therapist has indicated interest and willingness to actively collaborate with [an EMDR therapist]. Furthermore, in an appropriate referral, the client and his or her therapist can identify a clear target or stuck point they wish to have addressed with EMDR.
Additional Considerations
Individuals without stable living arrangements, who actively misuse substances, or who are actively suicidal/self-injuring would benefit from addressing these issues before beginning adjunctive EMDR
Individuals who are prone to paranoid thinking or experience impaired reality testing are not suitable candidates for adjunctive EMDR
Individuals with complex PTSD or with dissociative disorders are typically not suitable candidates for adjunctive EMDR as they would likely need a longer term treatment
How do I know if adjunctive EMDR is right for me?
If you're wondering whether you could benefit from adjunctive EMDR therapy, talk about it with your primary therapist. Together you two can explore the symptoms, sticking points, or feelings of stagnation that you may be experiencing. While it may feel scary to bring this up with your therapist, know that expressing your concerns is a brave and important step in your healing journey. It allows your therapist to better understand what you’re going through so that you can explore solutions together. It's possible that adjunctive EMDR may be the right fit for you, or it's possible that your therapist may have other ideas for how to best support you on your healing journey. Either way, starting the conversation is an important step toward finding what works best for you.
How can I get started with adjunctive EMDR therapy?
Adjunctive EMDR requires collaboration between you, your therapist, and an adjunctive EMDR therapist. The first step to beginning adjunctive EMDR therapy is to talk about it with your primary therapist. They’ll help you to determine if adjunctive EMDR is a good fit for you and to identify a specific target/symptom/sticking point that you would like to address with adjunctive EMDR therapy.
After that, you'll need to find an adjunctive EMDR therapist. Your primary therapist may be able to provide you with some recommendations, or you can use therapy search engines, like Psychology Today, to find EMDR therapists offering adjunctive services.
After that, you'll sign a release saying that it's okay for your primary therapist and your adjunctive EMDR therapist to communicate with one another, and then you'll set up an intake appointment with your adjunctive EMDR therapist.
How does confidentiality work with adjunctive EMDR?
Confidentiality remains a top priority in adjunctive EMDR therapy. Even though you'll need to sign a release saying that it's okay for your primary and adjunctive therapists to communicate with one another, they will only share and discuss information that is relevant to support your healing. This collaboration between therapists is respectful of your privacy and therapeutic boundaries.
What does the adjunctive EMDR process look like?
Your first adjunctive EMDR therapy session will be an intake. Similar to the first session that you had with your primary therapist, your adjunctive EMDR therapist will ask questions to get to know you and to better understand your struggles. After that, your adjunctive EMDR therapist will explore grounding exercises and coping strategies with you. From there, you will move on to treatment planning and the processing of the specific target/symptom/sticking point that you and your primary therapist had previously identified.
In between adjunctive EMDR sessions, you and your primary therapist will continue meet. You can provide feedback on your adjunctive EMDR sessions to your primary therapist, and discuss the impact that EMDR processing has had on you. Perhaps you have learned something new about yourself or are beginning to see positive changes in your daily life -- these are all things that you should discuss in sessions with your primary therapist.
Your primary therapist and your adjunctive EMDR therapist will also communicate between sessions. This communication is important so that everyone is on the same page regarding your treatment plan, progress, and any adjustments that may need to be made.
What are some misconceptions about adjunctive EMDR therapy?
1. Adjunctive EMDR is only for people with severe trauma.
Some people believe that EMDR is only effective for people with severe trauma or a PTSD diagnosis. In reality, there is evidence to support EMDR's effectiveness for a wide range of issues, including less severe trauma ("little t trauma"), anxiety, depression, phobias, chronic pain, and other emotional distress. If any of these are causing sticking points in your primary therapy, adjunctive EMDR could be helpful.
2. Adjunctive EMDR replaces talk therapy.
Some people may believe that adjunctive EMDR therapy can replace primary therapy, but it is not the case. Adjunctive EMDR is meant to complement and enhance other forms of therapy, not to replace them. Adjunctive EMDR works alongside primary therapeutic approaches, helping to process trauma or emotional barriers that may be interfering with progress. As such, adjunctive EMDR is brief and collaborative -- it is not a replacement for primary therapy.
How do I get started with adjunctive EMDR therapy in NYC, Brooklyn, or virtually?
Adjunctive EMDR can be an effective complement to the work you're already doing in therapy. I offer adjunctive EMDR therapy in NYC, Brooklyn, and online. If you're interested in getting started, I encourage you to discuss this with your primary therapist and then contact me to explore how we can work collaboratively to accelerate your progress and deepen your healing.
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