Back to Class: EMDR in Universities

Tell us a little bit about you, your experience becoming an EMDR therapist, and your experience working in a university.

I am a clinical psychologist that was initially EMDR trained in 2006. It was very overwhelming to learn at the time and I remember having a valuable experience, however, was more hesitant to fully implement it. As I continued to work with clients, trauma was pervasive in a lot of communities. As a result, I became more interested in returning to EMDR and became certified in 2016. I have been working in a university setting since 2010 and as the times have changed, so has the need for different treatment strategies. As more students sought services, it became clear that long-term individual therapy was going to be a challenge with many students needing support than there were clinicians. I found myself going back to EMDR and thinking of ways EMDR can be helpful across many cultures and in the university setting. This became clearer during the pandemic when I was able to use group protocols in virtual sessions to help cope with the isolation and stresses that came with being in a pandemic. I advocated for other clinicians at our Wellness Center to learn EMDR as a treatment modality for our students and am proud to say that most of our clinicians have been trained in EMDR.

What are common stressors that you see in students in the back-to-school season?

Common stressors that come up for incoming first-year students include adjusting to family expectations and balancing academic priorities. General stresses related to back to school are interpersonal relationship concerns such as roommate disagreements, family expectations, peer relationships as well as romantic relationships. With the start of the academic year comes the stress of meeting new people, balancing classes, fitting in, meeting new professors, test anxiety, performance anxiety, and continuing to move forward in life. There are also concerns related to mental health and getting the support they need to be successful on campus.

How can EMDR therapy help resolve these stressors? What successes have you seen?

EMDR therapy helps alleviate and release somatic energy stored in the body due to various stressors. With EMDR, we help students explore how what is happening externally is impacting them externally. We want to help students “name it to tame it”. Once they identify what is impacting them, we can move to help them process through their concerns. It is important to inform students of what EMDR can and cannot do to help them make an informed decision of whether or not EMDR is the right choice for them.

EMDR has been applied in different situations such as loss and accidents. I have successfully used EMDR to help decrease anxiety with interpersonal relationship stress; such as roommate tensions, end of relationships, and family stress. Performance and test anxiety are also ways that EMDR has helped. Treating the impact of racial and identity trauma, particularly imposter syndrome and the need to be perfect are also situations where EMDR can be applied.

EMDR has been applied in both individual and group settings. EMDR group protocols, such as IGTP Integrative Group Treatment Protocol developed by Ignacio “Nacho” Jarero can help when there is a situation that impacts a group of students. They can have that shared experience and can also process together.

What are challenges and opportunities for implementing EMDR in a university health center?

One of the challenges in general at university health centers is limited sessions. This can also be seen as an opportunity since in some instances you can target an issue and alleviate symptoms with EMDR with a few sessions. Some see EMDR as a quick treatment that will magically work. As a result, expectations are high. I believe it is important to meet students where they are at because sometimes the clinician wants to move faster than the student is ready to. Other times, the system wants to the student to get better before the student is ready or able to. It is a delicate balancing act that takes collaboration and preparation. EMDR might not be appropriate in some cases. Sometimes, it is shared as an option that might help alleviate symptoms and then the student and clinician work together to explore what is the best way to proceed.

An opportunity for implementing EMDR in a university health center is to get other members of the health center on board. A way to do this is to educate the members of the health team of what EMDR can and cannot do. It is a treatment option and the more the university campus at large knows about it, the more informed the student can be. For example, providing information to campus partners and professors who will be referring students to the center.

What multicultural considerations might EMDR therapists need to keep in mind regarding EMDR therapy in university settings?

It is important to explore what a student’s experience is. Taking into consideration cultural beliefs and ways that students might handle stress is particularly important. It is helpful to consider that being on a university campus is also an unfamiliar cultural shift along with other multicultural factors such as gender, sexual, and racial identities to name a few. Students come together from different communities such as rural or urban, large or small high schools, home-schooled students, and different socio-economic statuses. Everyone is coming together for the first time, and this might be a culture shock for some students.

Do you have any EMDR related resources that you would suggest to EMDR therapists interested in learning more about using EMDR in university settings?

Anything else you’d like to add?

EMDR can be implemented on a university campus and is a helpful and useful tool to have in a clinician’s toolbox. I believe with the right support, EMDR can be beneficial and help many students get relief from their symptoms.

Dr. Joyce Mojica, PsyD, CADC is a clinical psychologist who specializes in trauma, anxiety, diversity, and interpersonal relationship stressors. She has been in practice for over 20 years and is part of PSYPACT and is an EMDRIA Consultant and Trainer. She works at Dominican University’s Wellness Center and has a private practice.

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Additional Resources

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Back to Class: EMDR in Universities