top of page
EMDR for Couples
EMDR in Couples Therapy: A New Approach
While traditionally used as an individual therapy, EMDR has gradually made its way into couples counselling. The underlying principle is that couples, like individuals, can carry unresolved traumas, negative beliefs, and emotional triggers that hinder their relationship’s growth. By using EMDR techniques in couples therapy, therapists aim to address these issues more effectively.
How EMDR Can Benefit Couples
Addressing Past Traumas:
Just as individuals can be haunted by traumatic experiences, couples can be burdened by collective traumas, such as infidelity, loss, or significant conflicts. EMDR can help partners process these shared distressing events, facilitating understanding, empathy, and healing.
Reframing Negative Beliefs:
Couples often develop negative beliefs about themselves or each other due to past experiences. EMDR can target these beliefs and help reprocess them, allowing partners to perceive themselves and their relationship in a healthier and more positive light.
Resolving Emotional Triggers:
Every couple has their triggers—words, actions, or situations that evoke strong emotional responses. EMDR can help partners identify the underlying memories or experiences that contribute to these triggers, allowing them to manage their reactions more constructively.
Couples
Enhancing Communication:
EMDR therapy encourages open and empathetic communication. As partners share their thoughts and feelings during sessions, the bilateral stimulation can help them process their emotions more effectively and listen to each other with greater understanding.
Building Stronger Connections:
By addressing past traumas and negative beliefs, couples can cultivate a deeper emotional bond. The healing process through EMDR can foster resilience and promote growth, ultimately strengthening the relationship.
Cultivating Mutual Reconciliation and Growth: EMDR sessions can provide a safe and structured environment for partners to reconcile together. Sharing vulnerabilities and witnessing each other’s progress can create a sense of shared accomplishment and closeness.
Closing Message
EMDR therapy’s expansion into couples counselling offers a promising avenue for partners seeking to overcome their challenges and build healthier, more fulfilling relationships. By addressing past traumas, negative beliefs, and emotional triggers, couples can work together, forging a stronger bond in the process. As EMDR continues to evolve and adapt, it holds the potential to transform the landscape of couples therapy, offering new avenues for connection and healing. If you’re considering couples counselling, exploring the possibilities of incorporating EMDR therapy could be a transformative step towards a more vibrant and harmonious relationship.
EMDR Therapy for Couples at Kindred Counselling
If you and your partner are interested in experiencing EMDR Therapy together and it’s benefits for yourselves, Vishavjit Sandhu is our couple’s therapist who can support you through this process.
To make an appointment with her book a free 15 min consultation online now.
New Research on EMDR with Couples
EMDR with Couples:
-
Improves relationship satisfaction in gay and heterosexual couples
-
Decreases depression and anxiety symptoms within the relationship
bottom of page