Hey there,
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I know a lot of therapists are experiencing burnout these days, so I want to double-tap this topic.

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Not everyone reading this is experiencing burnout, but hopefully you’ll remember this if you do in the future, or use it as a way to help prevent it altogether!

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For some, the cases can start feeling routine, and the breakthroughs become just another clinical outcome to document. The passion that drew you to trauma work gets buried under years of holding space for others' pain (without tending to your own).

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But you know what?

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There's a path back to why you fell in love with this work in the first place:

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Personal EMDR work.

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When the Therapist Becomes the Client

There's something profoundly different about experiencing EMDR rather than just providing it.

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The bilateral stimulation you've administered thousands of times suddenly feels entirely new when you're the one experiencing it. When it’s happening in your own nervous system, you remember how real this kind of processing is.

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But more important than that?

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It often heals the very wounds that make us burdened (less effective) as healers.

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It’s probably obvious, but receiving EMDR often addresses the very things that create therapist burnout:

• The accumulated weight of difficult cases
• The secondary trauma from years of exposure to others' pain
• The professional moments that left you questioning your abilities or the effectiveness of the work

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Or perhaps, there are unturned stones from your own childhood that years of work with clients has chipped away at. Or, a recent life change or major stressor that’s made it more difficult for you to remain present with clients.
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Personally, I did two years of EMDR as a client after leaving the Marines. As I became a therapist I thought I was good to go. It wasn’t until several years into it I realized, I still need to work on myself and resolve pains from earlier in life too. I still needed to round out some rough edges.

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These experiences (when processed with EMDR) often turn from sources of depletion into sources of wisdom. Healing our own pains or processing overwhelming cases become a reminder of human resilience instead of a source of doubt or guilt.

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And this renewal is more than just processing difficult material.

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As a result of personal EMDR work, many therapists experience a “rekindling” of curiosity about their clients' inner worlds. Rather than dreading certain cases, they approach challenging cases with genuine interest.

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Interventions feel more intuitive, sessions become collaborative rather than formulaic, and the work regains its sense of meaning.

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That’s where confidence comes in, too.

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When you've felt your own stuck material shift and integrate, you trust the process in ways that ripple through every session you conduct.

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What Changes in Your Daily Practice

The transformation goes deeper than just renewed enthusiasm.

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Many therapists notice they can stay present during intense sessions without getting overwhelmed (or feeling like they need to protect themselves from the client's pain).

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Why?

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Because after doing EMDR yourself, your own nervous system has experienced regulation and knows what that feels like.

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For example:

• You recognize processing patterns more accurately.
• It’s easier to sense when clients need encouragement versus when they need space.
• Your timing becomes more intuitive because you’ve been on the receiving end of bilateral stimulation yourself.

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The protective numbness that developed over years of trauma exposure also starts to lift as a result of EMDR. In other words, you can “feel” again. In a way that makes the work meaningful again.

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The cases that once felt draining become exciting, and the clients who used to trigger your own unprocessed emotions become opportunities for connection and healing.

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Sometimes the very tool we use to help others heal is exactly what we need to fall back in love with this work!

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Take This as Your Permission

Here's the thing many of us don't want to admit:

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We think seeking therapy means we're not good enough therapists.

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But that's actually backwards.

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The most effective EMDR therapists I know have received their own EMDR work. Not just during their training phase, but as a tool for ongoing personal development. Not because they were broken, but because they understood that ongoing healing enhances clinical effectiveness.

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Your own processing doesn't make you less qualified. It makes you more qualified.

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Because clients need therapists who understand healing from the inside out, who know what vulnerability feels like, and who trust the process because they've experienced its power personally.

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So please, give yourself permission to get a tune-up from time to time!

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Until next week,

Chris

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P.S. We’re working hard to build a robust ecosystem supporting therapists in advancing their EMDR practice, marketing to niche clients, and connecting with other providers for support and community.Learn more about the pilot and apply to join the community for free!​
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