Episode Details
In this episode, we dive into the powerful therapeutic technique, Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), focusing on how it can help young adults navigate the complexities of mental health. From trauma to anxiety, depression, and past emotional wounds, EMDR offers a unique approach to healing by unlocking the brain’s ability to process and heal from distressing memories. Our guest, EMDR Certified Therapist™ Elyse M. Kaplan, explains how it works, its benefits, and why it is especially effective for young adults who may be struggling with unresolved trauma or current life stressors. We also discuss real-life stories of myths that she has counteracted with her clients. Learn about healing and recovery, hope, and practical insights for those considering EMDR as a path toward mental wellness. Whether you are a young adult or someone supporting a loved one, this episode is a valuable resource for understanding the transformative potential of EMDR therapy.
Tune in to learn how EMDR can help you reclaim emotional balance and find a healthier, happier life.
Episode Resources
- What Is EMDR Therapy?
- Online EMDR Therapy Resources
- Introduction to EMDR Therapy (video), EMDRIA, 2020
- EMDR therapy may help with trauma and anxiety. What you need to know. The Washington Post, July 14, 2023.
- The Counseling Center Group’s EMDR Therapy page
- Focal Point Blog
- EMDRIA Library
- EMDRIA Practice Resources
- EMDRIA’s Find an EMDR Therapist Directory lists more than 16,000 EMDR therapists.
- Follow @EMDRIA on X, @EMDR_IA on Instagram, Facebook or subscribe to our YouTube Channel.
- EMDRIA Foundation
Musical soundtrack, Acoustic Motivation 11290, supplied royalty-free by Pixabay.
Episode Transcript
Kim Howard 00:06
Welcome to the Let’s Talk EMDR podcast brought to you by the EMDR International Association, or EMDRIA. I’m your host, Kim Howard. in this episode, we are talking with EMDR certified therapist, Elyse Kaplan, about EMDR therapy for young adults. Let’s get started today. We are speaking with EMDR certified therapist Elyse Kaplan, to discuss EMDR therapy in young adults. Thank you, Elyse, for being here today. We are so happy that you said yes.
Elyse Kaplan 00:31
Yes, of course.
Kim Howard 00:34
Elyse, can you tell us about your path to becoming an EMDR therapist?
Elyse Kaplan 00:38
Absolutely. So, I’ve actually been a licensed clinical social worker since the late 90s, and have always had an interest in trauma and the effects of trauma on clients, and have heard bits and pieces about EMDR through the years, and it’s only been within the last 10 or so years that I have encountered other therapists who are trained and subsequently certified in EMDR, and have heard about the wonderful successes they’ve had with their clients, and I have wanted to become trained in EMDR after hearing about the wonderful successes, finally got my training done through COVID, became certified and and here I am. And it’s, it’s been wonderful. It’s great.
Kim Howard 01:32
Yeah, we’re happy to hear that. We’re happy to hear that. I mean, it sounds I think EMDR therapy has kind of come into its own in the last few years, and it’s become more popular and more well known, which we which, obviously we love because we have a certain bent about therapy, but we’re happy to hear that you found success, which is a great segue to my next question, which is, what’s your favorite part of working with EMDR therapy?
Elyse Kaplan 01:53
So you know, there are so many favorites, but when I see sort of that aha moment with a client, whether we are reviewing past target memories and they are talking to me about a relief and symptoms, or we are actually doing an eye movement session, and I see relief in their face, and they tell me why, you know that they are. They tell me why they finally get why EMDR was perhaps recommended, and it just there is such gratification as a therapist, but there’s also gratification because they’re they’re getting the relief that they’ve been seeking. And that is really one of my favorite parts. We all want to see our clients do better, feel better, and just function and function better.
Kim Howard 02:49
Yeah, absolutely. I mean, you’re not the first guest we’ve had on the podcast to talk about that, that that sense of relief that you can see in their face, but you can hear in their voice, and they tell you verbally that you know they’re feeling better. And that’s, that’s what a beautiful calling you guys have to heal.You’re literally healing humanity. I mean, I don’t know how much more noble you can be than that, other than maybe a doctor or medical somebody saving your life or something. But you know that’s
Elyse Kaplan 03:15
People are in such distress…when finally, seek treatment, and especially with EMDR and they put so much work into the process. So when you when they reap the benefits, right? It’s it’s wonderful. It really is.
Kim Howard 03:33
That’s good. So today we’re going to talk about EMDR therapy and young adults. So Elyse, can you talk about the specific complexities or challenges of EMDR therapy for young adults?
Elyse Kaplan 03:41
Sure. So sometimes when people come in, especially young adults, you know, I may get that well. So I saw on social media that XYZ can happen or this, you know, I can start to feel better in, you know, two to four sessions, or something like that. So what I have found is I often am sort of myth busting, and so I find that that is a challenge that I’m faced with, which is fine, because part of my job is, is giving information, providing information. But you know, you know, that’s one of the things that just comes to mind right off the bat.
Kim Howard 03:42
Yeah, and we’ve said this before, we’ll reiterate this again. If you’re getting any kind of advice on Tiktok or Instagram or any other platform, you need to make sure, number one, that that person is a legitimate person in their field, if they’re giving any kind of medical advice or mental health advice or physical advice, and then do some research on whatever they’re talking about to make sure that what they’re saying is legitimate. Because there are some very good people out there who are providing really good, strong, smart, correct information. And then there are people who extrapolate and provide half information. And then there are just people outright out there just not providing. And correct information at all. So buyer beware, you know, make sure you you kind of know what you’re doing right.
Elyse Kaplan 05:06
And so sometimes it’s sort of, they’re also looking for that quick fix too, that they’ve also heard about. And so sometimes too, that’s, you know, trying to correct source shift some of that thinking too. And it just depends. One of the wonderful things is, is EMDR is adaptable to the situation that people are coming in for, but that, that is one of the bigger challenges that I’ve encountered.
Kim Howard 05:31
What successes have you seen using EMDR therapy for this population?
Elyse Kaplan 05:34
How long do you have?
Kim Howard 05:37
You can give me your top five.
Elyse Kaplan 05:39
You know, I think globally, one of the successes that I see is what I see, especially in young adults, is their ability to go back and function in lives that were where they were having, you know, impediments, right? So you know, whether it’s improved academic functioning, interpersonal functioning, just an overall reduction of symptoms and just feeling better overall. You know, I was working with a client who had gotten to a car accident on their way to work and wouldn’t drive, and it was impairing their ability to, obviously, get to work, but just other areas of their life. Couldn’t go out with friends, wasn’t dating anymore, and after think about two months of EMDR work, this person was able to not only get back in the car and go to work, but they were able, they were able to go back to work, and are doing fine now. And so, you know, it just whereas they were not able to function in life, right? And you know, the accident wasn’t their fault. They it was just an innocent accident. And, you know, so I think those are some of the biggest successes that I have seen, is that we are able to take somebody whose life really feels like they it has turned upside down, and that is similar for some of the longer term, or more complex traumas that we see as well, where things feel unfixable, and we’re able to take things piece by piece and kind of put them back together. And that’s a success as well.
Kim Howard 07:22
Yeah, and I don’t think people realize, and maybe, unless they’ve been in a car accident, depending on what kind of car accident they’ve been in, how traumatic a car accident can be. You can be in a car accident, and even if you don’t have any physical pain or physical hurt from that that accident, it can still be very traumatizing. So our daughter actually had a car accident her senior year, and yeah, for the first couple of weeks, she wouldn’t drive anywhere. And when we she did drive with us, if we went over 15 miles an hour, she told us we were driving too fast, you know, and you don’t, I don’t think you realize what kind of trauma things like that can happen, or even if you’ve witnessed the car accident, you know, something, something traumatic, if you witness that, you know how that can impact you. So it’s good that that person came to you and they got some relief. They were able to, you know, go to work and go do their errands and whatever they else they wanted to do and live their life. So that’s really the plan here.
Elyse Kaplan 08:18
And, so we see that, or, you know, and I see that in my work, my daily work, is that people are slowly, you know, getting their lives back. And, you know, it’s a wonderful thing to see. And so successes happen when people are able to retain their level of functioning, or are finally feeling like they’re functioning in a way that they haven’t in in the past. And it’s so nice to see. It’s wonderful to see, very rewarding,
Kim Howard 08:48
I’m sure. Yes, it is. So you touched on this earlier, but just in case you wanted to add, are there any other myths that you want to bust about working with EMDR therapy and young adults?
Elyse Kaplan 08:57
There are so many, actually. And you know, sometimes people bring in myths that I hadn’t even thought of, and like….
Kim Howard 09:06
Oh, that’s that’s new. Okay, let’s talk about that.
Elyse Kaplan 09:10
So the biggest one that I encounter is, I’ll address what we’re doing and what we’re not doing, right? So I always like to affirm the work that we are doing and and then certainly myth bust, if you will, very often clients will come in thinking, I’m hypnotizing them, right? So it’s very important to explain to people that is not happening. Obviously, the goal of EMDR is different than hypnosis, right? So during the entirety of the EMDR, entirety of EMDR, excuse me. You are fully present and aware of what’s going on. So I’ll often tell my clients you and I will be talking just as we are now. I will myth bust and say, hey, you know EMDR allows your brain to rework how a memory is stored in your brain and your body. And I am not hypnotizing you whatsoever, you will feel exactly the way that you feel now. So oftentimes I get a surprise look and so, so that’s important. Sometimes people will come in and think I’m trying to alter their memory, or change the memory in some way, which doesn’t happen at all. I’m not trying to change things if you know that is not happening at all. People think that we can’t use EMDR if they haven’t recalled all of the memory that they’re trying to work through and and again, I explained to people that you don’t have to remember specific details about a traumatic experience in order to benefit from EMDR. In fact, sometimes you don’t some components of the memory cannot be recalled, and you don’t always have to use language in order to utilize EMDR as a treatment. So sometimes you’ll feel feel good about that. They’re just people like I said. People come in with all different sorts of ideas. You know, again, they hear from friends, or they hear they hear from everywhere. The other one, the other big one that I get is, well, I don’t have PTSD, so therefore, would EMDR actually work for me? And a lot of sort of the myths come with the education, right? So oftentimes, I will explain to people, you don’t have to have a diagnosis of PTSD in order for EMDR to work for you. That we really, you know, work with a lot of different diagnoses. And then I’ll, I’ll explain, you know, anxiety, OCD, depression, and so on and so forth, and and help people understand how that can work for them.
Kim Howard 11:54
Yeah, absolutely. I mean, PTSD is our cornerstone, and that’s how EMDR therapy first, sort of developed, yeah, developed came about, and that was the first area that we are. We the previous, you know, generation of EMDR, therapist treated it, and it’s became well known for that, but it, you’re correct, it’s not the only issue that that we can help with. So thank you for clarifying those.
Elyse Kaplan 12:15
I appreciate that, of course, but it is wild to hear what people come in with. And again, I do attribute that sometimes to the social media, you know, influence, which you know can be positive, but because I think it’s opened up a lot for people to have the exposure that this is a treatment modality. But again, I come in with these, these myths, but it just allows me to educate, which is also a nice aspect of what I do.
Kim Howard 12:42
It is, like everybody likes to talk about their work usually. So yeah, that’s great. So that’s a good segue to the next question, which is, what advice do you have for listeners who follow mental health hashtags on social media?
Elyse Kaplan 12:52
Absolutely. So I always like to tell people to make sure your source is reputable, which is, you know, there’s a lot of, a lot of choice on social media, whether, as you mentioned Tiktok or, you know, there’s a, you know, I don’t need to list, you know, Facebook, which I think is antiquated at this point, or Instagram, you know, I also tell people consider the impact on your mental health and following some of these hashtags and the accounts. I mean, your mood is definitely impacted, right? You just, you know, again, make sure they’re reputable. Consider, you know, the impact on your your mental health. It can impact your self esteem, those sorts of things, right? So just be mindful of how it makes you feel. You know you can use hashtags to build and connect with others to build community. But let’s just be careful of who you’re building community with. So I just, you know, I also encourage people to take take breaks when needed. You know, I just, you know, social media is social media is wonderful, but sometimes it can be overwhelming, and especially if you’re not using it in a positive manner.
Kim Howard 14:04
Yeah, absolutely. And I have friends who, I mean, we’re Catholic, so I have friends who, and you don’t have to be Catholic to celebrate Lent, but anybody who celebrates Lent but they’ll take off for 40 days. They won’t be on social media. They’ll just give themselves a break and a cleanse. And that’s sort of their their step away and and so that there’s nothing wrong with that. And I know all of us, I’m pretty sure all of us out there have fear of missing out whatever it is the new clothing line was real, travel, somebody’s new car. I mean, all the things that happen and that it does impact us. And sometimes there are just days where I’m like, you know, I’m just gonna not look tonight when I’m watching TV, because I just have, I’ve had enough, or if there’s news events going on in the world and it’s very stressful, and, you know, it can sometimes it’s just better for us to just step away for a little bit.
Elyse Kaplan 14:50
So it can be, it absolutely can be, and and it’s hard to believe that it is healthy to step away, especially when the. Is that strong fear of missing out?
Kim Howard 15:03
Yeah, absolutely. What would you like people outside of the EMDR community to know about EMDR therapy with this population?
Elyse Kaplan 15:10
So, it’s so important to know that, especially with young adults, they are, you know, they they have a lot of knowledge because of, you know, the breath of awareness they talk about, they’re more open to mental health and feeling good and talking about their feelings for the most part, right? So they are eager to feel good. They want resources. They want ways in which they can improve themselves again for the most part, and they want to overcome barriers and impediments to lead successful lives. They’re ready to do the work. And while EMDR, you know, is an effective tool, and we can tailor to meet the client’s needs, which is wonderful. So the EMDR Protocol, or EMDR as a whole is very adaptable to clients needs and what they’re there to work on. So it’s just they’re ready to do the work. Clients in this population are ready to do the work. And I think that’s really important to know.
Kim Howard 16:14
That is good. And I will say, you know, we the older generations have a tendency to complain about the up and coming generations. I don’t think that’s going to ever change, but one thing that you can say about the younger generation is that they are more open about talking about their feelings and mental health, because it’s become a little bit more socially acceptable. It’s no longer a taboo to be afraid to to say, Hey, I’m not doing well, you know, I’m having a bad day, or I’m having a bad couple of weeks, and here’s what I think is going on. And so we will encourage people and let them know that it’s okay for you to say that you need a little help, and it’s okay for you to seek that help, because taking care of your mental health is just as important as taking care of your physical health. You know, if you are if you go to therapy, you’re brave. It takes a really strong person to go to somebody else and and open up what’s going on with them. So thank you guys for doing that.
Elyse Kaplan 17:07
And I’ve also found that, you know, with younger people, sometimes, sometimes not as a whole, but generally speaking, they are more apt to try, be open, to try different modalities, right? You know, they’re more comfortable with, you know, different treatments. And, you know, again, you know, I think COVID has helped with this, but, you know, they’re open to using technology and having zoom appointments and so on and so forth. So that’s also been helpful. Yeah, absolutely, yeah, yeah.
Kim Howard 17:36
How do you practice cultural humility as an EMDR therapist?
Elyse Kaplan 17:39
So, that’s something as a social worker, as a, you know, as a licensed social worker, that’s something that I feel I’ve been doing since, since day one. That’s something that we, we’ve talked about, you know, when I was in graduate school and so on and so forth. But you know, I’ve always, you know, I’m always learning and growing my knowledge base, you know, about myself and the clients that I work with, right? So I practice in a very diverse area, and, you know, just again, understanding my own background and beliefs clearly impact my work with client. Even during the assessment phase, I use a lot of open ended questions to learn about understand my clients cultural beliefs, so I have a clear understanding of where they’re coming from and their values their background. I try to keep my counter transference in check when you know clients share their experiences of oppression, or you know other instances where you know things may have occurred for them, and I respect their boundaries and understand that different cultures have different levels of comfort with boundaries. Also, I never hesitate to seek advice or guidance from colleagues who may be familiar with more familiar with a client’s background, if I’m uncertain and I just think it’s really important that we never forgo that. You know education if we’re not certain, and never question our own intuition as well, because it’s so important to be informed.
Kim Howard 19:11
Yeah, absolutely. You touched on this. We’ve talked about this before in the podcast. It asking questions usually doesn’t hurt the conversation. It usually only helps the conversation, you know, because it it makes you a curious person, and it makes you somebody who wants to find out more about that person and their life experiences, etc, etc. And so, you know, don’t be afraid to ask. I mean, you got to do some homework, obviously, but don’t be afraid to ask when you don’t know the answer, you know. So, yeah, absolutely. Thanks.
Elyse Kaplan 19:43
When I have asked clients to, you know, help me understand XYZ. Help me understand when in your culture, what does this mean? I can’t give you an example of when a client was offended. They are always, again in my experience, have been happy to share or explain what something might mean or help me understand, you know, why that might be of significance and and, as I mentioned earlier, the protocol, or, you know, a lot of the work that we do with even the parent protector. And a lot of the work that we do within the treatment with EMDR helps clients so that they don’t, you know that can be culturally sensitive too. So I think it’s just important that we as clinicians recognize that a lot of the work that we’re doing within the EMDR protocol provides cultural humility as well.
Kim Howard 20:42
Absolutely. Elyse, do you have a favorite free EMDR related resource you would suggest, either for the public or other EMDR therapists?
Elyse Kaplan 20:49
So, when I start working with clients, and whether they’re coming to me specifically for EMDR treatment or I suggested as as a treatment, I usually go back to the EMDR website and and ask them to take a look around. And there’s also a Washington Post article. I don’t know if you’re familiar, if you’ve seen it, there was a Washington Post article in the health section, and you can access it online, and there’s no pay wall. Thank you. It was like it was escaping my brain. There’s no pay wall. And so I often send those two links, if it by email. So those are the two big ones my practice, the Counseling Center Group, also has a really nice page of explaining all the evidence based treatment we provide, and they have a nice explanation of EMDR treatment that I also provide to clients. The Besser van der Kolk book also has a nice chapter on EMDR treatment for people who are struggling with trauma. So those are typically the ones that I refer back to, and the “Body Keeps the Score” blinking and and so those are the ones that I typically give. And clients have have spoken highly of those of those resources.
Kim Howard 22:09
That’s great. I will go ahead and list those in the podcast description so our listeners can go back and view them. I mean, we always like a plug for EMDR, because, hey, that’s what we do and who we are, but it’s also good to find other information out there so that you can be informed. So thank you. Thank you for those. Elyse, if you weren’t an EMDR therapist, what would you be?
Elyse Kaplan 22:31
So, you know, that’s a great question. You know, I am reinforced every time I see clients that I have. I have chosen the correct career path, truly an every time. Now, of course, I have my days, like we all do, as we all do, right? But I do find myself when I am planning trips thinking, Gosh, I should have been a travel agent or in the travel industry in some way, right? You know, if I had to go back, maybe that’s what I would have done. But I am so thankful every day that I get to work. I really am so genuinely lucky, if that’s the word, that I have really lovely and wonderful clients who challenge me and who I really thoroughly enjoy working with. But if I had to choose, I don’t know, maybe something in the travel industry, maybe something interior design, something like that. Something’s a little different, but I do love planning trips and vacations, so maybe in something in that realm.
Kim Howard 23:44
Yeah, that’s awesome. Those are all great. There’s no wrong answer to this question. I just like to hear what people have to say about it and what other areas of expertise or talent they might have hidden behind their, you know, professional wall. I think it would be cool, because I like to travel too. I don’t like the actual act of traveling because it’s become a little more of a hassle. It has, you know, getting to and from places, but I love the experience of being at the place when I’m there, whether it’s in the U.S. or outside of the U.S.. And so doesn’t matter where. It doesn’t matter. I love the food and the culture and the people and the sites and all that that goes with that. And so I, if I weren’t in this job, I would love to be like a travel blogger and just write about my experiences, you know, because then I could get the travel and with the communications and the writing work that I like to do. And so anyway…..
Elyse Kaplan 24:33
Yeah, isn’t it cool that you can step off an airplane? I mean, if that’s your mode of travel, but that you can step off an airplane and you can be in a completely different place, absolutely and in a completely different environment, and there you are.
Kim Howard 24:47
Yeah, yeah. It’s, it’s really, it really is quite amazing. And it’s, you know, part of it is, it’s kind of scary. I mean, you really are literally stepping out of your physical and mental and emotional comfort zone because you’re, you’re traveling somewhere that’s not in your routine, whether it’s you know, in the U.S., and you know every because every state’s different, or especially if you travel outside of your your home country, and you go to other countries and they’re speaking a different language, and you may not know it, and the food is a little different, the spaces are different, and all that stuff. And so what an amazing way to learn about humanity. I mean, you know, behavior, right? Yeah, absolutely.
Elyse Kaplan 25:23
Maybe that’s what draws me. I don’t know.
Kim Howard 25:26
Elyse, is there anything else you’d like to add?
25:28
I think, I think I’m good. I think EMDR is just a wonderful tool, and it’s proven to be as wonderful as I thought it would be. So I’m very happy and like in the podcast.
Kim Howard 25:42
Yeah, yeah, thank you. This has been the Let’s Talk EMDR podcast with our guest, Elyse Kaplan. Visit www.emdria.org for more information about EMDR therapy, or to use our Find an EMDR Therapist Directory with more than 16,000 therapists available. If you like what you hear, please subscribe to this free podcast wherever you listen. Thanks for being here today.
Date
January 15, 2025
Guest(s)
Elyse M. Kaplan
Producer/Host
Kim Howard
Series
4
Episode
2
Client Population
Adolescents
Extent
26 minutes
Publisher
EMDR International Association
Rights
Copyright © 2025 EMDR International Association
APA Citation
Howard, K. (Host). (2025, January 15). Healing the Mind: Exploring EMDR Therapy for Young Adults with Elyse M. Kaplan (Season 4, No. 2) [Audio podcast episode]. In Let’s Talk EMDR podcast. EMDR International Association. https://www.emdria.org/letstalkemdrpodcast/
Audience
EMDR Therapists, General/Public, Other Mental Health Professionals
Language
English
Content Type
Podcast
Original Source
Let's Talk EMDR podcast
Access Type
Open Access