IEMT is perhaps something you’ve never heard of - and that’s because it’s one of the best kept secrets out there in the world of therapy & personal growth right now.
Or that’s certainly how I feel about it, having used it with my private clients over the past couple of years!
I’ve been qualified as a psychotherapist since 2017. I became an IEMT practitioner in early 2023, and an advanced practitioner in 2024 - and I have to say, it has had an incredible impact for my clients in terms of helping them move forward and make changes in their personal and professional lives - and also for me, personally.
Prior to IEMT I would find that my clients made great progress in shifting their thoughts, feelings and beliefs - but it would usually be a case of gradual, incremental change and insights occurring over the longer-term as they started showing up differently - maybe with more confidence, clarity, rational control or belief in their own capabilities - relative to the world around them.
Yes, sometimes there would be amazing revelations and breakthroughs - but as a rule it would usually take a few sessions to really see the big shifts happening.
Then I started using IEMT.
I have to say, I approached it with some scepticism - because from what I’d seen therapeutically and from our understanding of neuroscience - change takes time.
Right?
We can’t just change overnight, even when we want to - we have to ‘rewire’ for change - creating neural pathways that support our new belief systems and behaviours for them to really become ‘hard wired’ in - and our subconscious brain can be very good at getting in the way and sabotaging that process!
My opinion was always firmly along the lines of ‘slowly but surely wins the race’ - be wary of anyone promising any kind of transformation which seems too good to be true.
As a scientist at heart, with a B.Sc.(Hons) and a critical mind, I’m hard won-over. I don’t like to buy into anything until I’ve seen hard evidence and understood WHY it works. So it was with my sceptic’s hat firmly in place that I went along to my first IEMT practitioner training session.
Well, very quickly IEMT turned my thoughts on rapid change around - because the results and the transformations I was seeing - first in training, then with my clients - went against everything I had come to believe was possible.
Suddenly, dramatic change was occurring right in front of my eyes. Within a matter of minutes, I was seeing a huge shift towards more rational & well-reasoned thought and an ability to see nuances and perspectives that had been completely unavailable to the person sitting in front of me just a few seconds before - because their emotional brain had been running the show.
And that’s, in essence, what IEMT does.
It helps the brain process emotional and traumatic ‘imprints’ (memory sequences) so that the person undergoing the process can look at and respond to events in their past and present objectively and rationally (i.e. from their higher brain), without the emotional brain reacting and becoming unhelpfully involved.
For example, a client I worked with earlier this year was aware she had a strong negative reaction to being around her family - emotionally and physiologically - which was so strong she described it as ‘11/10’ in intensity.
She realised she was experiencing intense anger and grief around events that had happened in the past, but wanted to overcome these so she could build a better relationship with them going forward.
Within a few minutes she was able to feel acceptance, relief and a detachment from the overbearing emotions she had previously been unable to handle - so she could view her old experiences and glean insights from them, without feeling ‘stuck’ in them or triggered every time she thought about interacting with the people in question.
She was able to approach her family from the perspective of who they are now, rather than who they were then - and could put the negative incidents of the past aside and focus on building bridges without feeling this was sacrificing herself or her position in any way.
As a result, she was able to approach discussions with them calmly and without emotional overreaction causing the whole thing to come crashing down, and enjoy their time together.
This is just one example of the countless ‘breakthrough’ moments I’ve experienced using the framework of IEMT.
So what IS IEMT?
I say a framework because that’s very much a key part of IEMT therapy.
On a very basic level, IEMT uses eye-movement based techniques to help the brain process and encode emotional ‘data’ - as we just described, it helps negative emotional experiences feel far less ‘present’ and powerful, and helps the brain file away the relevant information correctly, so the individual can respond rationally and consciously to past, present and future experiences rather than in an emotionally driven way.
It can also help by allowing the client and therapist to explore deeper, identity level beliefs and ‘operating systems’ and integrate subconscious processes - so there’s one, harmonious set of beliefs informing and influencing the person's present experience, rather than several conflicting ideas and feelings at play.
We’ve all had that feeling of being in two minds, not really feeling like ourselves or not supporting ourselves fully - identity-level work can help us operate as a whole, rather than a whole bunch of perspectives.
But IEMT is also much more than that.
The eye movement work, although it’s one of the key features of IEMT, is really just the icing on the cake - or maybe it’s better described as just a tool in the trained IEMT therapist’s toolkit.
IEMT in practice is based on an integrated set of psychological principles and foundational models that help the practitioner explore the client’s issues with them - often in a content-free, non-disclosure based way - i.e. it’s not necessary to talk about the problem or any historical events which led to it in any detail, to work through it.
IEMT draws on the work of David Grove and Clean Language, as well as EMDR, Eriksonian models, and is based around the 5 Patterns of Chronicity - cycles of repeating and unsupportive, self-sabotaging behaviour that tend to be behind and ‘glue together’ our ongoing struggles and chronic issues.
Is IEMT the same as EMDR?
In short, no - IEMT is not the same as EMDR.
Whilst EMDR encourages the observation of trauma and is focused on resolving PTSD, IEMT is built around the 5 Patterns of Chronicity.
As well as addressing emotional imprints to create kinaesthetic (sensory perceptual) change, IEMT addresses identity imprints (self-concept) to create a fundamental change in how the person sees themselves in the context of their environment and relationships.
Like EMDR, it does have applications in resolving PTSD and trauma, but traumatic imagery is largely irrelevant to the process.
Whilst both use eye movements as a dominant mechanism for change, the eye patterns in IEMT are different and calibrated to the individual - and unlike EMDR, IEMT does not employ tapping, alternating sounds or affirmational statements.
“Integral Eye Movement Therapy (IEMT) is not just another therapeutic modality. It's a journey into the very fabric of our psyche.
By observing and influencing eye movements, we can tap into the neural pathways that store our most profound emotions and experiences.
This isn't merely about alleviating symptoms; it's about confronting the dragons of our past, understanding them, and integrating their lessons into our present.
The human psyche is a complex interplay of order and chaos, memories and dreams, traumas and triumphs.
By harnessing the power of our gaze, we can shine a light into the darkest corners of our minds, bringing clarity, healing, and integration. Join us in this profound exploration and discover the untapped potential that lies within”.
Source: Association for IEMT website
Does IEMT involve me talking about my problems?
There is - to the relief of many of our clients - absolutely no need to go into any detail about the issues you’re experiencing, or about any historical experiences that may have led to the emotional or functional difficulties you’re struggling with now.
We will usually ask you to provide a brief background to explain what you’d like help with, but this can be entirely content-free and simply describe how the problems affect you - and how you’d like to change things.
Can IEMT help with anything I’m struggling with?
IEMT can help with many emotional, behavioural and mental wellbeing-based issues. We've successfully used it to help clients experiencing anxiety, PTSD, anger, OCD, procrastination, depression, imposter syndrome, low self-esteem and many other identity-level issues.
However, like any therapy, it isn’t a panacea and any responsible therapist would never describe their services as such.
At The Better Brain Company, we integrate IEMT techniques with other therapeutic modalities and tailor our process to each individual client. Sometimes IEMT is absolutely the best tool for the job - whereas sometimes, it’s better to begin working in another way that feels more comfortable or suitable for the client and therapist. We will always discuss the process with you, allow you to guide us towards the most appropriate and effective solution, and adjust course where it feels relevant.
Are there any side effects of IEMT?
IEMT - and in fact any therapy that deals with emotional processing - can be quite demanding to our brains and therefore result in a sudden dip in available blood sugar. Occasionally clients will report tiredness, dizziness or mild nausea - which may in itself be due to the brain ‘resisting’ the change! So it’s wise to plan in a little time to rest and recover afterwards.
There are no other reported side-effects or areas of concern - although as IEMT may directly influence memory recall we cannot use it if you are due to give evidence in court (it may be deemed to affect your testimony).
There are also a few eye conditions and psychopathologies that may mean we’re unable to use IEMT, but we will discuss this during your initial assessment and will usually be able to use other modalities for change (Such as Solution Focused Hypnotherapy or SFBT) - or, where it’s in your best interests, refer on.
Can IEMT be done online?
Absolutely - that's how we work with the majority of our clients, and it's proven to be very effective.
Is there anything else you would like to know?
If so, drop us a comment below - or feel free to get in touch.
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