When people begin searching for an EMDR therapist, one of the first questions they have is, What kind of EMDR therapist should I connect with? This post discusses what the benefit of seeing an AMHSW (Accredited Mental Health) psychotherapist They bring a unique lens to EMDR that differs to psychologists, traditional psychotherapists, and counsellors.
Psychology and a Broader Social Science Lens
AMHSW psychotherapists are trained in both psychology AND the social sciences – sociology, anthropology, social justice, and systemic thinking. This means we go beyond ‘mental illness’ to better understand your mental health:
- We look at trauma and mental health within the individual experience, and
- In the context of relationships, family systems, social structures, and wider society, and
- In the context of to social inequality, cultural norms, political forces, and systemic injustice.
An AMHSW psychotherapist brings this bigger-picture understanding directly into the therapy room.
Challenging Individual Psychology Models
Traditional psychology models can often focus too narrowly on the individual brain and mind. This can inadvertently make people feel that their struggles are purely personal failings, and separate to broader social determinants of mental health. The AMHSW psychotherapist perspective challenges this by asking different questions such as – What has happened to you? When have you felt powerless in your life? What social and cultural pressures have shaped your story? This shift helps us relocate distress in its real-world context, and validate the very real impact of inequality on mental health.
Trauma and the AIP Model
EMDR is based on the Adaptive Information Processing (AIP) model. The AIP model recognises that unprocessed past experiences can keep showing up in the present as distressing symptoms. An AMHSW psychotherapist integrates this with an understanding that those past experiences are rarely separate from social context. For example:
- Shame is connected with social expectations and cultural norms relating to inequality.
- Assault or abuse may carry layers of systemic silencing or discrimination.
- Trauma that is compounded by broader power imbalances and social inequalities.
AMHSW psychotherapists weave systemic awareness into EMDR. Clients are supported to not only heal the memory itself, but are also empowered against the broader social forces that perpetuate their suffering.
Healing With Context
Clients almost always find it empowering when their therapist recognises that trauma is not only personal, but also relational and systemic. With an AMHSW psychotherapist, EMDR is not just about decreasing symptoms, it’s also about helping you:
- Reprocess painful experiences safely.
- Understand how inequality, injustice, and systemic issues shaped those experiences.
- Challenge internalised oppression and shame.
- Build identity and meaning despite social and cultural challenges.
Final Thoughts
Choosing an EMDR therapist is a highly personal decision. Seeing an AMHSW psychotherapist means working with a therapist who both understands trauma at the personal level, and also understands the larger social, political, and cultural contexts.
I warmly invite you to get in touch if you’d like to find out more.
Recent Comments