Can EMDR Help After a Car Accident?

The short answer is yes, Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) can help after a car accident or another one-time traumatic event, such as a natural disaster, witnessing or experiencing violence, sudden loss, abrupt break up, and other instances. EMDR has a specific protocol, R-TEP, which stands for Recent Traumatic Event Protocol. This protocol utilizes parts of the foundational EMDR protocol, and an additional narrative protocol which helps to process the specific traumatic event and disturbances that are link to it.

When someone experiences a traumatic event, afterward they may be having flashbacks, panic, difficulty sleeping, nightmares, ruminating on what happened and being unable to stop thinking about it. R-TEP utilizes bilateral stimulation through the entirety of what happened to help desensitize it. Then the protocol ranks the points of disturbance from the event and then individually targets each point of disturbance. This is why these sessions are typically extended sessions of at least 90 minutes, to be able to get through the narrative and target at least the first point of disturbance to give the client some relief. Often, as you start to process the points of disturbance, the other points start to desensitize as well, since they are all linked.

If a new client is coming to process a recent traumatic event, typically they are in distress. R-TEP allows for a briefer intake than you would typically do, and providing of mindfulness tools and skills to help the client regulate in-between sessions, due to the intensity usually of the impact of the trauma. RTEP typically gives clients access to quicker relief than if someone was working on childhood trauma or complex trauma for traditional EMDR, which could take months or years of consistent treatment. If the recent event linked to past trauma, depending on the client, than it could take longer to get relief, than an isolated traumatic event. Each person is different and the time it takes to resolve the trauma depends on their past experiences, their ability to regulate, support system outside of therapy, and positive coping skills.

R-TEP, similar to EMDR, can be done virtually over video, or in-person. This depends on the client’s preferences, and needs. If they have a safe space in their home that they can get privacy and they feel comfortable at home, then virtual can be a great option. If the client doesn’t have any privacy at home, or their home isn’t a safe space or can be triggering, then in-person treatment may be most beneficial for that client. The efficacy of EMDR therapy or R-TEP treatment virtually/video, is the same as in-person treatment. You decide what works best for you and the therapist you’re working with.

How do I find the right R-TEP or EMDR Therapist?

RTEP is a separate training than the basic EMDR training. It’s best to find your EMDR therapist through EMDRIA.org, to confirm they’re legitimately trained or certified through this international organization, EMDR International Association. You can also confirm with the clinician that they’ve done the specific R-TEP training. I have had many clients come through my practice who have had poor experiences previously with EMDR, due to their therapist not having been through the full training or having just read a book, which is highly detrimental to the client’s experience and trust in therapists and therapy in general. If you find a therapist on psychologytoday.com that you like and has that they provide EMDR on their profile, you can then cross-reference their name with EMDRIA.org to see if they’re actually trained through EMDRIA.