EMDR for DID: Making Sure It’s Safe
(Summary) EMDR can be life-changing for trauma and DID recovery — but only when it’s done safely. In this post, you’ll learn how to spot unsafe EMDR practices, the red flags to watch for, and the key questions to ask your therapist. Protect your system by making sure your EMDR therapy follows the right pace and guidelines.
Therapy is supposed to help, but when EMDR is done incorrectly, it can leave your system in severe dysregulation. Today, I want to share some guidelines to help make sure the EMDR you receive is safe and by the book.
I consulted with a trusted EMDR-certified therapist—someone with extensive experience working with DID and using EMDR—and here’s what she shared that can help you protect yourself as a client.
First: ask your therapist if they are EMDRIA trained and certified.
EMDRIA certification is the gold standard. It requires at least 50 hours of training and consultation with expert practitioners. Without it, a therapist could attend a single 4-hour seminar, call themselves “trained,” and you’d never know unless you asked.
But even EMDRIA-certified therapists can sometimes rush in a desire to relieve suffering quickly. Moving too quickly through the preparation phases can leave you vulnerable to retraumatization when memory work begins.
As my colleague explained: with DID clients, she may spend months—or even years—in preparation before ever starting trauma memory work. If you’re being pushed into processing after only 4–6 weeks, that’s a red flag.
Here are a few questions you can ask to make sure EMDR is being practiced safely:
- How much time do you typically spend on the resourcing phase?
- Do you screen clients for dissociation?
- Do you participate in ongoing EMDRIA consultation?
Their answers will help you see whether they’re respecting your pace—and protecting your safety.
To make this easier, I’ve created a free PDF with examples of “green flag” and “red flag” answers to these questions.
EMDR can be a powerful and life-changing therapy—but only when it’s done at the your pace, with the right support.
You can search for EMDRI-certified EMDR therapists here:
https://www.emdria.org/find-an-emdr-therapist/
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Is EMDR safe for people with DID?
A: Yes, but only when done carefully and at the right pace. For DID clients, the preparation phase may take months or even years before any trauma memory work begins. Rushing this process increases the risk of retraumatization.
Q: What are red flags that EMDR is being done unsafely?
A: Red flags include being pushed into memory processing after only a few weeks, skipping or minimizing the resourcing phase, or working with a therapist who does not screen for dissociation.
Q: What questions should I ask my EMDR therapist?
A: Ask how much time they spend on the resourcing phase, whether they screen for dissociation, and if they participate in ongoing EMDRIA consultation. Their answers will show if they’re prioritizing your safety.
Q: Can EMDR really help if it takes so long to get started?
A: Yes. The long preparation phase is not wasted time — it builds the safety and skills your system needs. This foundation is what makes EMDR effective and transformative when memory work begins.