A Post About Nothing

“What do you notice?”
“Nothing” the Client replied.
Does this sound familiar?
When practicing the desensitization phase of EMDR, it can be difficult to know what to do after we ask, “What do you notice?” and the Client says, “nothing.” “Nothing” could mean a lot of things and often does. Perhaps the image, emotion, thought, or body sensation stayed the same. Perhaps the Client was completely distracted. Perhaps the Client does not feel comfortable expressing what he/she noticed. Sometimes experiences are difficult to put into words. Most importantly though, it is a mistake to assume that the Client is not reprocessing or that the EMDR therapist think he/she is doing something “wrong.”

With that said, how do we proceed when we get the “nothing” response? Like many things in EMDR, there is not one approach to always take, but we will consider some options.

1. Simply say, “Go with that” and continue BLS.
2. Change the speed of the BLS.
3. Change the direction of the BLS.
4. Change the number of passes.
5. Change the type of BLS.
6. Go back to target.
When I was initially trained, I learned these interventions. They were and are often effective. However, I was stuck when the Client continued to report, “nothing.” We can give these interventions the college try, but at some point, we might have to try to understand what “nothing” means. Credit to Brittne Lee for teaching me an additional intervention, “When you say nothing, what do you mean?” Yes, kind of simple, but early in EMDR training we are taught the virtues of staying out of the way and sticking to our usual prompts. So, when we ask this question, you might also follow it up with, “Before it was nothing, what was the last thing you noticed?” “Did it stay the same?” “Were you distracted?” I have found that often, by simply asking this question, I gain an understanding of what the Client is experiencing, which informs my next action.
This post is not an exhaustive list of possible interventions, but rather an observation of a trend that I have noticed, and some ideas of how to move past “nothing.” I have seen newly trained EMDR therapists struggle with this situation. Have you struggled with this response as well? How have you handled the “nothing” response in your work with Clients while using EMDR?
As I wrote this, I did not realize that I was paying homage to Seinfeld. After all, this is a post about “nothing.”
Robert Peacock, LCSW-S
EMDRIA Approved Consultant
EMDRIA Certified EMDR Therapist
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Dr. Amber Quaranta-Leech, LPC-S

Amber holds a PhD in Counselor Education and Supervision from Regent University. She is a Licensed Professional Counselor in both Texas and Oklahoma and holds Supervisor credential for Texas. Amber is an EMDRIA consultant and trainer. She has over a decade of experience in the trauma field in work with uniformed services, domestic violence, childhood trauma and abuse, and recent mass trauma events. Amber provides consultation for EMDRIA certification, for consultants-in-training, and supervision for LPC-Associates. Amber continues to research the benefits of EMDR therapy with a variety of populations. Her goal is to help build strong clinicians who are well versed in trauma interventions to better support their clients. Amber sees a limited number of clients with a focus on trauma work, she is also a Certified Career Counselor and Certified through EAGALA to provide equine-assisted therapy. 

Dr. Jose Carbajal, LCSW

Dr. Jose Carbajal, a U.S. Army veteran, earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in social work and a master’s in theological studies from Baylor University, and a Ph.D. in Social Work from the University of Texas at Arlington. With over 15 years of clinical experience and extensive teaching experience, Jose specializes in trauma, sexual abuse recovery, domestic violence, and substance abuse. His research focuses on trauma interventions, neuroscience, and faith. He is EMDR Certified, an Approved Consultant, and an EMDRIA Approved Trainer, with numerous publications and professional presentations to his name.

Dr. Amanda Martin, LMFT-S, LPC, BCN

Amanda Martin holds a PhD in Family Therapy and is a Licensed Professional Counselor, Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist Supervisor, and EMDRIA Approved Consultant. With over 14 years of experience, she specializes in trauma therapy for individuals and families in residential and outpatient settings. Amanda also provides supervision for EMDR certification, EMDR consultants-in-training, and LMFT-Associates. Her mission is to help people find a healthy, joyful, and fulfilling path in life. Her warm, supportive, and interactive counseling style incorporates Symbolic Experiential Therapy, Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, EMDR, HeartMath, Animal-Assisted Therapy, Neurofeedback, and Collaborative Problem Solving.

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