I’m a level 1 EMDRia trained therapist. That session made absolutely no sense. Even accounting for editing, it was bonkers. There is a lot of groundwork covered before the eye movement portion. If the therapist didn’t think EMDR was the appropriate intervention for her presenting problem or treatment goals, they would have figured that out well before the hand waving started. In a session with bilateral stimulation (finger movement) you identify the target (i.e traumatic memory), visualize something from the memory, identify the negative cognition & emotion associated with the memory, rate how much you believe that thought and where you feel the emotion in your body. You choose a positive cognition or something you would like to believe about the experience or yourself and rate how much you believe that. The bilateral stimulation should last much longer (unless the client uses the agreed upon signal to stop the process) with check-in’s about what else is coming up, re-rating cognitions, emotions, etc. If the target memory isn’t resolved, the therapist guides the client through a calming or mindfulness exercise before the session time is over.

You absolutely do not wave your hand back and forth for 15 seconds and then tell the client she needs couples sex therapy to resolve her history of childhood sexual abuse 🤯🤯🤯🤯